George Robert Ainslie

George Robert Ainslie (1776–1839) was a Scottish general of the British Army, with a short lived and controversial career in the Caribbean, a Lieutenant Governor of Cape Breton, and noted for his coin collecting pursuits. Biography Military career Ainslie was the eldest son of Sir Philip Ainslie, and was born near Edinburgh in 1776. He entered the army as ensign in the 19th Regiment in 1793, and having political influence through his mother, a daughter of Lord Grey, was in the same year promoted lieutenant, and in the next captain in the 85th Regiment. With his regiment he saw service in Flanders, and in 1799, when he was promoted major, was engaged in the short and disgraceful Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland. He seems to have shown no particular capacity as a soldier or much ardour for a military life, and so was in 1800 promoted to a lieutenant-colonelcy in a Fencible Regiment. Colonial governor In 1802 he married a Miss Nevile, but did not again try for employment in his profession. He was, however, made lieutenant-colonel of the 25th Regiment in 1807, and promoted colonel by brevet in 1810. His influential relatives now obtained him a colonial governorship, that of the island of St. Eustatius in 1812. Two months later he became Lieutenant-Governor of Grenada where he had confrontations with the free people of colour over their rights as free citizens. In early 1813 he was appointed as Governor of Dominica where he issued a proclamation to find and exterminate the Maroon population in May. By July he found he was dealing with the impacts and losses from a devastating hurricane (23 July 1813), coupled with increasing unrest on the plantations. He took a martial approach and in October 1813 declared 'I do further declare, that the utmost rigour of military execution shall be put in force against all those runaway slaves that may be apprehended after that period, neither age nor sex spared, all indiscriminately shall be put to the bayonet'. The severity of these measures attracted the attention of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and he was summoned to the UK in June 1814, although did not return until November. in the end some 577 slaves and maroons were involved, with 18 killed during capture, 16 dying in jail and a further 5 executed. Despite the protests to Parliament of landowners and members of the Dominica Assembly he was censured for his actions and demoted.