Lieutenant General Sir Stanley Maude
Cyril Falls profiles perhaps the ideal soldier in war and, certainly, the ideal British Commander-in-Chief.
Stanley Maude is my pattern of what a British officer should be. He came of one of the most ancient Irish families, and there is no doubt about its origin. An Italian, Eustacius de Monte Alto, landed with William the Conqueror and was rewarded for his services in the conquest of Welsh territory immediately beyond the Dee.
He became Baron de Montalt of Ha-warden Castle and assumed the name of Montalt, which became corrupted into Maude. This barony died out during the minority of Edward III, and its estates fell into the hands of the infamous Queen Mother, Isabella of France.1
Henceforth the family was represented by a Yorkshire branch, until in 1640 a Robert Maude sold his lands and bought valuable estates in Tipperary and Kilkenny. In 1791 the barony was revised in favour of a descendant, Sir Cornwallis Maude, whose youngest son was Rector of Enniskillen, and his fourth son was the father of the subject of this article. In the Crimean War he was awarded the Victoria Cross for outstanding bravery during the abortive assault on the Redan.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
