# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mulcaster, Frederick William

​MULCASTER, Sir FREDERICK WILLIAM (1772–1846), lieutenant-general, colonel-commandant royal engineers, and inspector-general of fortifications, eldest son of Major-general G. F. Mulcaster, of the royal engineers, was born at St. Augustine, East Florida, on 25 June 1772. After passing through the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, he received a commission as second lieutenant in the royal artillery on 2 June 1792, and in June 1793 was transferred to the royal engineers. He was promoted first lieutenant in November 1793. He was sent to Portsmouth, and early in 1795 was appointed assistant quartermaster-general in the south-western district. He laid out the encampments at Weymouth, which were frequently visited by George III and the royal family. He sailed for Portugal on 1 Jan. 1797, and after making a military survey of the seat of war, he served successively as military secretary to General Hon. Sir C. Stuart and Lieutenant-General Fraser. On 11 Sept. 1798 he was promoted captain-lieutenant, and went to Minorca, where he was commanding engineer at the siege of Cindadella in that island at the end of the year. He was actively employed in the operations in the Mediterranean until 1801, and was military secretary successively to Sir C. Stuart, General Fox, and Lord Roslyn. He acted as colonial secretary of Minorca after its capture, and as judge of the vice-admiralty court in the Mediterranean. He held the latter appointment for nearly two years, and though some eight hundred prize causes came before him there were but five appeals to England, and in all these his decisions were confirmed.
In June 1801 he was appointed undersecretary to Lord Chatham, master-general of the ordnance. On 21 Sept. 1802 he was promoted captain, and in December 1803 he was appointed commanding royal engineer and inspector of the royal gunpowder factories at Faversham and Waltham Abbey. On 25 July 1810 he became brevet major, and on 1 May 1811 regimental lieutenant-colonel. In January 1812 he went to the Mauritius as commanding royal engineer of that island and of Bourbon and dependencies. He remained there until 1817, and acted as surveyor-general of the colonies and temporarily as colonial secretary, and took charge of Bourbon at a time of peculiar difficulty and delicacy, the lieutenant-governor having been superseded. He received the thanks of the governor for restoring peace in Bourbon by his judicious conduct. He was promoted colonel on 7 Feb. 1817. He returned to England in July the same year, and was placed on half-pay on reduction of the corps in August. He was made a K.C.H. for his services, and received the reward for distinguished service. He returned to full pay on 15 April 1824, and was promoted major-general on 27 May 1825. He served in various capacities on the staff at home, and on 16 July 1834 was appointed inspector-general of fortifications. He was promoted lieutenant-general 28 June 1838. He resigned the office of inspector-general of fortifications in July 1845, and died at Charlton near Canterbury on 28 Jan. 1846. Mulcaster married first, on 2 Sept. 1804, Mary Lucy, daughter of John Montrésor of Belmont, Kent, and of Portland Place, and granddaughter of James Gabriel Montrésor [q. v.], and secondly, on 10 Sept. 1822, Esther Harris of Petham, near Canterbury, and had by her one son, Frederick Montrésor.
[Royal Military Calendar, vol. v. London, 8vo, 1820; Porter's Hist. of the Corps of Royal Engineers, vol. ii. London, 8vo, 1889; Corps Records; War Office Records; Burke's Landed Gentry.]
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