# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gleig, George Robert

​GLEIG, GEORGE ROBERT (1796–1888), chaplain-general of the forces, son of George Gleig [q. v.] bishop of Brechin, was born at Stirling 20 April 1796. His childhood was spent at his father's country house at the foot of the Ochill Hills. So delicate was he in his early years that his life was at one time despaired of. Gleig received his early education from his father, and was then sent to the Stirling grammar school. His lessons were mastered with unusual ease, and then he kept the class idle by telling stories. From the grammar school he was removed at the age of ten and placed under Dr. Russell at Leith. He finished his school course at thirteen, and was sent to Glasgow University. Gaining a Snell exhibition to Balliol College, he proceeded to Oxford in 1811, but soon resigned his exhibition to enter the army.
Gleig obtained an ensigncy in the 85th regiment, joined his company at the Cove of Cork, and served with it there until February 1813. The 85th was then remodelled, Gleig was promoted in the course of a few months, and went out to Spain as lieutenant. He served in the Peninsular campaigns of 1813 and 1814, being present at the siege of San Sebastian, the passage of the Bidassoa, the battle of the Nivelle, where he was twice wounded, the battle of the Nive, where he was again wounded, and the investment of Bayonne. When not on active duty he would amuse his comrades by the production of squibs and songs. For his services in the war he received the medal with three clasps. He afterwards served in the American war, and took part in the engagements at Bladensburg, Baltimore, New Orleans, the capture of Washington, and Fort Bowyer. He was thrice wounded in America.
After the battle of Waterloo Gleig went upon half-pay, and returned to Oxford to keep his terms in 1816. He proceeded B.A. from Magdalen Hall in 1818, and M.A. in 1821. In 1819 he married a ward of his father, and daughter of Captain Cameron the younger of Kinlochleven. He lived for twelve months at Rockliffe Hall, Cumberland, and prepared himself for taking orders. He was ordained by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Manners Sutton) in 1820, and appointed to the curacy of Westwell in Kent, worth only 70l. per annum. In 1821 the archbishop presented him to the perpetual curacy of Ash, valued at 130l. per annum, and in 1822 added the rectory of Ivy Church, worth 250l. He tried to increase his income by taking pupils, but finding the interruption of domestic quiet intolerable, he gave up the scheme.
While curate of Westwell, Gleig wrote his ‘Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New Orleans.’ In 1826 he sold his half-pay, and wrote ‘The Subaltern,’ which first appeared in ‘Blackwood's ​Magazine.’ It professes merely to relate the adventures of the hero during his service with the Duke of Wellington's army, and is distinguished by literary skill, vivacity, and accuracy. In 1829 Gleig published ‘The Chelsea Pensioners,’ a large portion of which consisted of actual historical narrative; and he was an early contributor to ‘Fraser's Magazine,’ started in 1830.
From 1830 Gleig's life was one of strenuous labour. He had a growing family, and a large and populous parish to superintend; but he shortly gave to the world ‘The Country Curate’ (1830), ‘Allan Breck,’ and in 1834 ‘The Chronicles of Waltham.’ He then took to history, and wrote a ‘Life of Sir Thomas Munro,’ in three volumes, 1830; a ‘History of India,’ in four volumes, 1830–5 (in ‘Family Library’); the ‘Story of the Battle of Waterloo,’ 1847; ‘The Leipsic Campaign;’ ‘Lives of Military Commanders,’ three volumes, 1831 (in Lardner's ‘Cabinet Cyclopædia’); a ‘Sketch of the Military History of Great Britain,’ 1845; and ‘Sale's Brigade in Afghanistan,’ 1847. He also wrote biographies of Lord Clive (1848) and Warren Hastings (3 vols. 1841), the last of which was the text of Macaulay's essay. Macaulay says that the work consisted of ‘three big, bad volumes, full of undigested correspondence and undiscerning panegyric.’
Gleig was a strong conservative in politics, but took little part in public affairs, except in attacking the Reform Bill of 1832. In 1834 he was appointed to the chaplaincy of Chelsea Hospital by Lord John Russell, who refused to revoke the appointment when assured of Gleig's tory sentiments. Gleig was highly esteemed at Chelsea for his philanthropy and zeal. The flag, in capturing which he was wounded at Bladensburg, was always suspended from his pulpit in the hospital chapel. In 1838 he published in three volumes ‘Chelsea Hospital and its Traditions.’ Gleig was made chaplain-general of the forces in 1844. He proposed a plan for promoting the education of soldiers and their children, and was appointed in 1846 inspector-general of military schools.
In 1857 Gleig issued ‘India and its Army,’ and in the following year he republished, chiefly from the ‘Edinburgh’ and ‘Quarterly’ reviews, his ‘Essays, Biographical, Historical, and Miscellaneous.’ Gleig edited from 1850 for Longmans a cheap and useful educational library called ‘Gleig's School Series,’ to which he contributed a history of England, &c. In 1862 he produced a ‘Life of Arthur, first Duke of Wellington,’ founded upon Brialmont's biography, with the addition of some original matter. He had known the duke personally, besides having served under him. Gleig was also the author of a number of theological works, including ‘The Soldier's Manual of Devotion,’ 1862, a ‘History of the Bible,’ 2 vols. 1830–1, ‘The Great Problem: can it be Solved?’ London, 1876, and two volumes of sermons, 1829 and 1844.
Gleig resigned the post of inspector-general of military schools in 1857, and that of chaplain-general of the forces in 1875. He continued, however, to hold till his death the appointment of prebendary of Willesden in St. Paul's Cathedral, to which he had been preferred in 1848. Gleig outlived all the original contributors to ‘Fraser's Magazine.’ His is one of the figures in Maclise's ‘Portrait Gallery.’ He was likewise for some years before his death the only surviving early contributor to ‘Blackwood,’ and the last surviving officer who served under the Duke of Wellington in the 85th.
Early in 1888 Gleig's health began to fail. He died on 9 July 1888 at Stratfield Turgis, near Winchfield, having retained his faculties almost to the last. Gleig was a staunch churchman, and a decided enemy to cant in every form.
[Fraser's Mag. vol. x.; Bates's Maclise Portrait Gallery, 1883; Waller's Imperial Dict.; New Monthly Mag. 1837; Times, 11 July 1888; Athenæum, 14 July 1888; Gleig's works.]
G. B. S.