John Charles Beckwith

John Charles Beckwith (1789–1862) was a British army officer who was born in Nova Scotia. He is best remembered for being injured in the Battle of Waterloo and for his charity work and philanthropy among the Waldensians of northern Italy. Career John Charles Beckwith, known as Charles Beckwith, was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was the eldest of ten children. He was the grandson of Major-general John Beckwith and nephew of the generals, Sir George Beckwith and Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith. He attended the Halifax Grammar School with Captain Herbert Clifford. He left Halifax to join the British army at age 14. Charles Beckwith joined the 50th Regiment of Foot in 1803, exchanging in 1804 into the 95th Rifles, with which regiment he served in the Peninsular campaigns of 1808–10. He was subsequently employed on the staff of the Light Division, and he was repeatedly mentioned in despatches, becoming in 1814 a brevet-major, and after the Battle of Waterloo lieutenant-colonel and C.B. He had four horses shot from under him at the Battle of Waterloo before he lost a leg. Soon afterwards, he became an active reformed Christian but remained a member of the Church of England throughout his life.