Pindari war, 1816–9 : at the taking of Chanda : did good service in the Sur- veyor-General's office, 1822 : as Diplomatic Agent at Ludiana had charge of Shah Shuja, 1823 : negotiated with Ranjit Singh, keeping him quiet during the Burmese war, 1824–6, and was the medium of intercourse with him and the Trans-Indus states from 1827 till Ranjit's death in 1839 : knighted for those services : in the Afghan war, 1838–40, was sent on a special mission to Peshawar to lead a mixed force into Afghanistan : the Sikhs failed to appear : as Lt-Colonel in command, forced the Khyber Pass, July 23, 1839; captured Ali Masjid; entered Kabul at the head of his Force : after the fall of Kabul, returned to India : Resident at Indore, and Political Agent in Malwa, 1840 : retired, 1844 : Colonel, 1854 : C.B. : died Oct. 21, 1861.
WADESON, RICHARD (1826–1885)
Born July 31, 1826 : enlisted in the 75th regt., 1843 : went to India, 1849 : sergeant-major, 1854 : given a Commission, 1857 : with his regt. at Badh-ka-sarai and at the siege and assault of Delhi : gained the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery on July 18, 1857, at the Sabzi Mundi in saving separately the lives of two soldiers, when attacked by horsemen, both of whom he killed : appointed Adjutant : served with the regt. all over the world : commanded it, 1875–80 : Lt-Colonel, 1877 : Colonel, 1880 : Lieutenant-Governor of the Chelsea Royal Hospital : died Jan. 24, 1885.
WAGHORN, THOMAS (1800–1850)
Born Jan. 20, 1800 : son of a Rochester tradesman : was in the Navy, 1812–7 : to Calcutta as a third mate : was in the Bengal Marine, 1819–24 : commanded a vessel in the Burmese war, 1824–6 : urged, in 1827, the establishment of steam communication between India and England : met with great opposition : in 1829, showed its feasibility by performing the voyage out and back by the Red Sea : systematized the transit of mails and passengers across the desert, via Cairo to Suez, the Bombay Marine supplying the steamers for the Red Sea until the P. and O. Co. commenced in 1840 : organized a shipping business with Wheatley, as Waghorn & Co : left Egypt, 1841 : made a Lieutenant R.N., 1842 : died Jan. 7, 1850 : statues to him erected at Chatham and at the Suez end of the Suez Canal : published pamphlets on the Overland Journey, 1831, and Mails, 1843, and on Egypt, 1837.
WAHAB, ROBERT ALEXANDER ( ? - )
Entered the Indian Army, 1873, and became Colonel, 1899 : served in Afghan war, 1878–80 : Mahsud-Waziri expedition, 1881 : Zhob Valley expedition, 1884 : Hazara expedition, 1888 : Isazai Field Force, 1892 : Waziristan, 1894–5 : Brevet-Lt-Colonel : Anglo-Russian Boundary Commission, 1895 : Tirah expedition, 1897–8 : C.I.E., 1897 : Colonel.
WAKE, HEREWALD CRAUFURD (1832–1901)
I.C.S. : fourth son of Sir Charles Wake, Bart. : educated at Haileybury : served in the Bengal Civil Service, 1851–68 : in the mutiny, was magistrate at Shahabad : he was, with a small party of Europeans and subordinates and about 50 men of Rattray's Sikh Police, besieged at Arrah in a small bungalow, which was put into a state of defence, being attacked by thousands of mutineers from Dinapur and by Kooer Singh and his force. The siege lasted from July 27 to Aug. 3, when the heroic garrison was relieved by Major Vincent Eyre, R.E. (q.v.). Wake commanded the Sikh Police in the subsequent defeat of Kooer Singhat Jagdishpur on Aug. 12 : he retired early from ill-health : received the freedom of the borough of Northampton in recognition of his galtry : C.B., 1860 : died Dec. 9, 1901.
WALCOTT, EDMUND SCOPOLI ( ? - )
Colonel : son of John Minchin Walcott : educated privately and abroad : entered the Bombay Army, 1860, and became Brevet-Colonel, 1885 : served 'in the Chma war, 1860–3 : Afghan war, 1879–80 : Soudan expedition, 1885 : C.B., 1885 : retired.
WALCOTT, EDWARD ( ? –1756)
Ensign : survived the Black Hole : was sent with J. Z. Holwell (q.v.) to Murshidabad: when released, went to Chandernagore : served subsequently un- der Kilpatrick (q.v.) but died, apparently
