Colonel H. B. O. Savile (1819-1917)

Henry Bourchier Osborne Savile, was born on 5 May 1819 at at Mount Radford, Exeter. He was the third son of Albany Savile, Esq., M. P., of Oakland's, in the county of Devon. He was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was Gazetted to Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, in December 1837 and served for fifteen years with this regiment. In 1854, he was appointed Major of the Royal North Gloucestershire Militia on the formation of the militia service.

In September 1859, a circular letter was sent by Lord the secretary Lord Palmerston, the secretary of state for war, to the Lord Lieutenants of candidates to the effect that the government had expressed a decided preference for artillery rather than rifle Corps in maritime neighbourhoods. The Lord Lieutenant of Gloucester the (the Earl of Ducie) thereupon addressed a letter to the Mayor of Bristol, in answer to a requisition made to him by Mr Hirst and others, who had expressed of their willingness to enrol themselves in an Artillery Corps. Informing him that the formation of an artillery Corps with headquarters in Bristol would not only receive official sanction, but would be considered a valuable adjacent to the volunteer force already established.

Major Henry Bourchier Osborne Savile, then Major of the newly formed Rifle Corps, was selected by the Lords Lieutenant of Gloucestershire and Somerset to raise the Artillery Corps of these counties. The Major was made Major Commandant of the new Artillery Corps on 21 December 1859 and which which he commanded for fourteen years retiring in 1874 and then served the Corps as the Honorary Colonel.

On 28 November 1863, the Newham, Gloucester and Clevedon Corps were formed into an administrative Brigade with the Bristol Corps and Major Savile was appointed to the command of the Brigade with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Lord Glentworth, late of the rifle Brigade, was appointed Major of the Brigade. On 5 June 1867, rhe Earl of Limerick resigned the rank of Major Commandant of the 1st Corps and Lieutenant Colonel Savile reverted to the command of the 1st Corps, in addition to that of the Brigade. On 30 January 1869, Major C. D. Cave Esq. was appointed Major of the 1st. Corps in succession to the Lieutenant Colonel Savile who had resigned. On 9 August 1873, Lieutenant Colonel Savile was appointed honorary Colonel.

In 1895, Colonel Savile was awarded the Volunteer Decoration for 20 years service was presented, also receiving the award were Colonel Yabbicom and Captain (Hon. Major) Daniel.

In 1902, under a special army order dated 15 January 1902 the official designation of the Corps became 1st. Gloucestershire R.G.A. (Volunteers) and Colonel H.B.O. Savile, V.D., honorary Colonel was appointed to be Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Colonel Henry Bourchier Osborne Savile

In 1909, he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Wessex Divisional Engineers. With 70 years of military service, he was considered to be the oldest Volunteer Officer in England, and was presented to the King in 1911, aged 92.

He was High Sheriff of Bristol (1883-1884). Colonel Savile was Chairman of the local board of the Royal Insurance Company, Chairman of the Bristol and South Wales Railway Waggon Company, and a director of the Main Colliery Company.

He was president of the Bristol Protestant League, chairman of the Church Missionary Society’s local branch and secretary of the Society for Promoting Scriptural Education in Board Schools. He was a member of the Clifton Parish Church, a member of the Church Extension Commission, and a diocesan representative in the House of Layman.

He also served 6 years on the Bristol School Board. Assisted in the management of the Blind Asylum for 28 years. Member of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Committee, Member of the Clifton College council. He also acted as president of the Society of Devonians in Bristol, president of the Gloucestershire Society, and president of the Royal West of England Academy from 1885. He moved sevral times around Bristol and district but lived for a time at 3, Rodney Place, Clifton.

He was married three times, to Catherine Law in 1841 in Barnstable with whom he had three children. She died in 1846. He married Mary O'Callaghan 1820-(1870) in 1848 in Clifton, with whom he had eight children, and finally married Ellen Lucy Darling (1846?-1926) in 1872 in Bath. He had twelve children. Ellen died on 22 December 1926, aged 80. Colonel Savile himself had died on 17 August 1917, aged 98, and was buried in Arnos Vale Cemetery and Crematorium on 25 August.

Two sons were killed during World War I. 2nd Lieutenant George Keith Savile of the 4th Gloucestershire Regiment in Flanders on 20 June 1915, aged 26 and Captain William Henry Bourchiers Savile serving in the Royal Field Artillery who was killed in France on 14 August 1916, aged 41.

Among 266 Battery's silver are two silver gilt goblets won by Lieutenant Conel H. B. O. Savile for rifle shooting. They are used within the battery as toast cups for the Loyal Toast on mess dinner nights.

Sources and Resources

We would be very grateful for any further information on members of the 1st South Midland Bde RFA/ 240th Bde RFA (TF) from 1908-1919.

Derek Driscoll's original pages

Contemporary Biographies
Contemporary Biographies
Historical-Records-1859-1914 (PDF, 3.64Mb)
Historical Records of 66th (South Midland) Field Brigade R.A. (T.A.)
Historical Records of 66th (South Midland) Field Brigade R.A. (T.A.)

Other References

Colonel Henry Bourchier Osborne Savile - Find A Grave
Family of Henry Bourchier Osborne Savile - Tony & Gill's Family Tree
Henry Bourchier Osborne Savile - Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust