Henry Eyre

Who was Henry Eyre?

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Eyre CB was a British Army officer and Conservative Party politician.

Eyre was born in Rampton Manor, Nottinghamshire and was educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford.

A Rifle Brigade officer, he served in the Crimean War, being present at the siege and fall of Sebastopol and wounded at the assault of the Redan. He served throughout the Indian Mutiny and was present at the taking of Lucknow, capture of Mynponee and operations in the Central India Campaign on the Ram Gunga River. He was present in the actions of Gwalior and the capture of Kalpi with the Camel Corps. This unit was formed from four officers and 100 men from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions Rifle Brigade. An elite unit, the officers were carefully picked due to the required level in independent command. He retired from the army in 1858 and entered the Militia.

He was High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1873 and was elected at the 1886 general election as the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough, with a majority of only 85 votes. He was defeated at the 1892 general election, and stood unsuccessfully in Mansfield at the 1895 general election.