This street bears the name of field marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset,- later Lord Raglan- GCB (Knight Grand Cross of the Bath), PC (Privy Councillor) known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset.
Lord Raglan.The Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in the Crimean War
He was born at Badminton House in Gloucestershire on 30 September 1788 as the ninth and youngest son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort Somerset. He was educated at Westminster School and was commissioned as a cornet in the 4th Light Dragoons on 16 June 1804 being promoted to Lieutenant on 30 May 1805. He took part in the Peninsular Campaign as aide-de-camp to Sir Arthur Wellesley (Wellington), and was present at the battles of Roliça and Vimeiro on 17 and 21 August 1808 respectively in Portugal. .
Raglan served on Wellington's staff until the close of the French Wars, being appointed as his military secretary on 1 January 1811. He was promoted to Brevet-Major on 9 June after the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro. At Wellington's special request he was made Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on 27 April 1812. He received the cross with five clasps for the Peninsula campaign and was created a KCB (Knight Commander of the Bath) on 2 January 1815. On 25 July 1814 he was transferred to the 1st Guards regiment, as Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel. On 6 August he married Emily Harriet Welesley-Pole, Wellington's niece.
At Waterloo (16-18 June 1815) he was wounded and his right arm had to be amputated. Wellington recommended him as the aide-de-camp to the Prince Regent, a post that was given on 28 August 1815 together with the rank of Colonel. Raglan became the military secretary at the Horse Guards, holding the post for more than twenty-five years.
Raglan became a Colonel of the 53rd Foot on 19 November 1830, a Lieutenant-General on 28 June 1838 and was created a Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath on 24 September 1852. He was appointed as a Privy Councillor and was elevated to the peerage as Baron Raglan of Raglan, Monmouthshire, on 12 October 1852.
At the beginning of the Crimean war in 1853, Raglan was chosen to command the British troops, despite the fact that he was sixty-five years old. He had never led troops in the field. He left London on 10 April and reached Constantinople at the end of the month. By the end of June most of the English and French armies were in camp at Varna. On 29 June instructions were sent to Raglan that he should prepare for the siege of Sebastopol. On 14 September nearly fifty thousand men were landed without opposition at Kalamita Bay on the west coast of the Crimea, an ideal landing-place chosen by Raglan himself.
On 20 September 1854 the Battle of Alma was fought and won, raising hopes of an early capture of Sebastopol. The defences of the fortress were incomplete but the Allied commanders were convinced that a bombardment would have to precede the assault so preparations were made for a siege. On 25 October the Russians attacked Balaclava; this resulted in the 'Charge of the Light Brigade'. A misunderstanding between the commander of the light brigade and his superiors led to a great loss of the British cavalry. The brigade was not completely destroyed, but did suffer terribly.
On 5 November 1854 he became a Field Marshall.
18 June 1855 was chosen for the general assault on Sebastopol: the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. It was to be preceded by a two-hour cannonade but the French commander decided at the last moment to attack at daybreak, a decision that Raglan reluctantly accepted. The result was disastrous. The French columns were driven back with heavy loss. Raglan ordered the British forward against the Redan where the two leading British columns met a murderous fire of grapeshot and musket fire. Raglan felt responsible for the failure. He was already suffering from dysentery and on the evening of 28 June he died. His body was taken to the Caradoc with the full military honours: the seven miles of road from his headquarters to Kazatch Bay was lined with troops. The ship reached Bristol on 24 July; Raglan was buried privately at Badminton on the 26 July.
