Lord Rowland Hill

Lord Rowland Hill was born near Hawkstone in 1772. He became Shrewsbury’s most distinguished soldier.

At the battle of Waterloo he fought alongside the Duke of Wellington commanding the first company.

It was because of this and his valour in other military campaigns that he was honoured by Parliament.

Today his statue sits atop the column outside Shropshire County Councils offices in Shrewsbury.

He was an enigmatic figure and he was universally liked by the soldiers under his command. He became known as ‘Daddy Hill’ by the troops who respected his kindness.

During the later stages of the Peninsular war he again fought alongside Wellington as his second in command.

Sir Rowland Hill’s career is linked closely to both the Duke of Wellington and Sir Thomas Graham whom he met during the siege of Toulon and the older man appreciated the talents the 21-year-old Hill had displayed.

Graham formed his own regiment and he asked Hill to be his colonel and Hill commanded it in Egypt. A later brigade command followed in Hannover.

Hill began his Peninsular Campaign at Rolica and Vimiero. He took part in campaigns at Corunna and Oporto and played a vital defensive role at Talavera.

Hill was one of the few officers that Wellington trusted enough to give a separate command to. However Hill was unfortunately stricken with malaria before his force fought at Albuera and had to hand it over to Sir William Beresford.

Once Wellington returned, he protected Wellingtons right flank at Badajoz and later destroyed a French force at Arroyo de Molinos.

This attack was so successful that he only suffered 65 casualties to the French’s 1300 killed, wounded and captured.

In 1812 Hill rose to the rank of General and was often used by Wellington as an independent guard on his flank, but again he showed his fighting abilities at Vitoria, Souraren and St. Pierre. At the later he soundly defeated a larger French army under Marshal Soult.

In 1814 Hill was given a peerage and when Napolean Bonaparte’s returned to Paris from Elba Hill journeyed to Holland to assist the Dutch building their army.

Whilst fighting during the 100 days campaign, Hill narrowly missed being killed towards the end of the battle of Waterloo.

Hill remained in France for three years as second-in-command of the Allied occupation troops.

When he retired, Hill remained out of the public eye for 10 years but he returned to it when he was asked by Wellington, the then Prime Minister, to be the head of the army.

Just before his death in 1842 he was made Viscount Hill.

He is buried in the churchyard at Hadnall church.