John Gurwood

Lt Col John Gurwood (7 April 1788–27 December 1845), British Army, was a career soldier who took it upon himself to edit and publish the Dispatches of the Duke of Wellington which form a major contribution to military history. Early life John Gurwood was born on 7 April 1788 in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. His father, Richard Gurwood, was born in Langton, Yorkshire and his mother, Marisco Jay, came from Essex. The couple had a son, Richard Jay, in 1782 but did not marry until October 1787. Richard Gurwood died in October 1791. He had almost certainly been a London merchant, his will describes him as 'Esquire of Hoddesdon', and he left a substantial sum to his wife and two sons and a small estate at Langton to John. Marisco Jay married Henry Okey in May 1796 and the family seem then to have lived in Hackney. The Okeys had two children: Charles born in May 1797; and Marisco born in June 1798. John had a close relationship with his mother and became extremely fond of his stepfather and of Charles and Marisco. Military life