Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 58.djvu/391

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Vivian
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Vivian

of the forces in Ireland, whereupon he retired from parliament, and was given the grand cross of the Hanoverian order. From 1830 to 1837 he was groom of the bedchamber to William IV. In 1835 he was offered the post of secretary at war, but declined it. On 4 May 1835 he succeeded General Sir George Murray [q. v.] as master-general of the ordnance, and was made an English privy councillor; he was already a member of the Irish privy council.

On 29 Jan. 1837 he was transferred from the colonelcy of the 12th lancers to that of the 1st royal dragoons, and on 30 May was given the grand cross of the order of the Bath (military division). In this year he was returned to parliament as member for East Cornwall, and continued to represent it until 1841, when he was created a peer as Baron Vivian, and took his seat in the upper house. He died suddenly at Baden-Baden on 20 Aug. 1842. He was buried in the family vault in St. Mary's, Truro. A cenotaph of white marble to the memory of Lord Vivian was erected in the church.

Vivian was twice married: first, on 14 Sept. 1804, to Eliza (d. 1831), daughter of Philip Champion de Crespigny of Aldeburgh, Suffolk; and, secondly, on 10 Oct. 1833, to Letitia, third daughter of the Rev. James Agnew Webster of Ashford, co. Longford. By his first wife he had issue, besides daughters, two sons: Charles Crespigny [see under Vivian, Sir Hussey Crespigny, third Baron Vivian]; John Cranch Walker (d. 1879), captain 11th hussars, M.P. for Truro, and permanent under-secretary of state for war; and an unmarried daughter. By his second wife, who survived him, he left a daughter, Lalagé Letitia Caroline (1834–1875), who married Henry Hyde Nugent Banks, son of the Right Hon. George Banks of Kingston Hall, Dorset. Lord Vivian also left a natural son, Sir Robert John Hussey Vivian [q. v.]

Vivian's portrait was painted full-length in uniform with his horse by Shee, and engraved in mezzotint by Meyer. The portrait of his second wife with her daughter was painted by Corbaux and engraved by Edwards.

[War Office Records; Despatches; Siborne's History of the Waterloo Campaign; Napier's Peninsular War; Moore's Narrative of the Campaign in Spain, 1808–9; Smith's Wars in the Low Countries; Autobiographical Memoir, dated Royal Hospital, Dublin, 9 March 1832, published in Letters of Sir Walter Scott addressed to the Rev. R. Polwhele, &c., London, 8vo, 1832, pp. 69–79 (Polwhele wrote a poetical tribute to Vivian with which Sir Walter Scott expressed himself delighted); Memoir by the Hon. Claude Vivian, 8vo, London, 1897; Gent. Mag. 1842; United Service Journal, 1847; Vivian Family of Cornwall, pedigree, p. 13.]

R. H. V.

VIVIAN, Sir ROBERT JOHN HUSSEY (1802–1887), general Madras infantry, natural son of Sir Richard Hussey Vivian, first lord Vivian [q. v.], was born in 1802. He was brought up as one of the family, was educated at Burney's school at Gosport, entered the East India Company's army as ensign on 12 June 1819, and the following day was promoted to be lieutenant in the 10th native infantry. He arrived at Madras on 8 July 1819, returned home on furlough in January 1821, and on landing again in India on 15 June 1822 joined his regiment at Belgaon. He was appointed adjutant of the second battalion on 14 March 1823, and in the following year was posted to the 18th Madras native infantry for service in Burma under Sir Archibald Campbell [q. v.]

Vivian took part in the capture and occupation of Rangoon in May 1824, was made adjutant of the battalion on 4 June, and was engaged in the assaults of Yelgeo and Juzong, in the attack and capture on 10 June of Kamandin, in the repulse of the attack on the lines in front of Rangoon on 1 July, and in the subsequent fighting. He was also in the affairs of the Panglang river, the attack and capture of stockades at Thantabain, the general engagement with Bandoola, the Burmese general, in front of Rangoon on 1 Dec., when he was slightly wounded, the actions of 5 and 8 Dec., and the attack on the enemy's fortified camp at Kokien on 15 Dec. In 1825 he marched with the army to Prome, was promoted to be captain on 1 Aug., took part in the assault and capture on 1 Dec. of Simbike, and in the affair near Prome on the following day, and at Patanagoh on the 24th. He was at the storm of Malown on 19 Jan. 1826, and at the battle of Pagham-Mew on 9 Feb. For his services he received the medal and clasp. On the conclusion of the war he resigned the adjutancy, and went home on leave of absence.

When Vivian returned to India in July 1827 he was appointed to the staff as assistant adjutant-general of the Nagpur subsidiary force, and in May 1830 was transferred in a similar capacity to the light field division of the Haidarabad subsidiary force at Jalnah. After nearly four years' furlough at home he resumed this appointment in India until his promotion to a majority on 9 Dec. 1836. On 18 Jan. 1837 he took over the command at Madras of a battalion of