Robert D'Arcy

Royal Engineers C.B Known as (The General) Robert D'ARCY Major-Gen C.B. 2 PLAC Royal Engineers A lineal descendant of the great and ancient baronial house of D'Arcy, in which vested the Earldom of Holderness. (SEE NOES FOR THE 4TH EARL - THIS ROBERT THOUGHT TO BE THE ILLEGITIMATE SON OF THE 4TH EARL AND NOT OF FRANCIS) He was born in Yorkshire and spent his holidays in Holderness House London and was a friend of the Marquis Townsend. Mystery about his father but the College of Heralds allow the family to carry the Arms of Lord D'Arcy, Earl of Holderness and Baron Conyers. From "Ancestral Voices" by Berta Ruck "We know that he was "wrecked" on his voyage to America to fight as a volunteer in the American war and that in this wreck personal papers including, birth certificate and documents with the names of his parents were lost. It was rumoured (not through family letters) but handed down talk that the loss of these personal papers was engineered to avoid a possible scandal. The Yorkshire Myth - by rights perhaps he was not of that branch of the D'Arcy family - he had been taken on by them for some unexplained reason to PASS as their child." GAK D'A wrote " from a variety of circumstantial evidence I am inclined to believe that the General (Robert) was an illegitimate son of the last Earl of Holderness who died in 1788. The name Robert - The general having been born and educated in Yorkshire, passing his holidays in Holderness House, London. His silence about his father, of whom he never spoke. His powerful friend, the Marquiss of Townshend, a relation of Earl Holderness, taking him by the hand - and making much of him. My father saying he never knew who his grandfather was - One of his sons being named Considine, a family name with the Yorkshire D'Arcys." There is also a letter to GAKD'A from his cousin Frederick in Australia "your excellent father (J. D'Arcy) gave me to understand before he left England that the title of Holderness had been traced to you, or rather to the General (Robert) who was then alive. I think your father touched up a little by your uncle De La Warr, (Lady Catherine's dearest brother) thought of applying to Chancery but considered that he was not of sufficient financial calibre. I believe caviats are invited and always entered by Parties having spurious claims merely to exact tips. However I look upon you (George A K D'A) as the Earl of Holderness proper." If any of this is to be believed then Robert would be direct link to the 4th Earl and we would not be looking for the Thomas or Francis (Soldier of Fortune). Spain (Minorca) During the last period of British occupation (1798–1802) of Minorca, Sir Charles Stuart, the then British governor, ordered Engineer Captain Robert D´Arcy to build some 12 Martello towers along the coast.[6] These, when added to the three Spanish towers already in place, gave Minorca 15 towers.[ The Harbour Control. Sa Torre de Sanitja. The figure of Sanitja Tower is a landmark standing at the entrance of the harbour that transmits a romantic feeling, one of remote militar and imperial times. It was built by the English in 1800, as part of a defensive network of 11 towers erected on the island’s most strategical points. The one at Sanitja was built by Captain Robert d'Arcy during the last period of British rule between 1798 and 1802, and it was prepared to house a garrison of 18 men with supplies for a month. Its mission was to control and watch the area against possible pirates or French invasion expeditions. Its defense was vital for the communitacion system that used smoke signals during the day and fire at night, and that could be seen from El Toro Mountain or from a second Tower in the harbour of Fornells. [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D192027 Will of Robert D'Arcy, Major General in the Army and Colonel of the Royal Engineers of Chatham , Kent], National Archives [http://www.geneagraphie.com/getperson.php?personID=I1389062&tree=1 Family tree] Geneagraphie