General Lord Downes, KCB
(1788-1863)
17 October 1860

Volume 2, page 41, sitting no. 1461.

General Sir Ulysses de Burgh, 2nd Lord Downes, was appointed Colonel of the 29th Regiment of Foot on the 15th August 1850.

Ulysses de Burgh was born on 15 August 1788. He was appointed Ensign of the 54th Regiment of Foot on the 31st March 1804 and Lieutenant on the 21st November 1804. He was promoted to Captain on the 9th October 1806.

He was transferred to the 92nd Regiment of Foot on the 25th November 1808, and proceeded to Portugal as ADC to Sir J. Cradock. In 1809 was made ADC and Assistant Military Secretary to Sir Arthur Wellesley present at Talavera (where he was slightly wounded), and at Busaco the following year. Promoted to Major on the 31 March 1811, he was present at Fuentes d’Onor, El Boden, the siege of Cuidad Rodrigo, of Badajos, and at the battle of Salamanca. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 92nd Regiment of Foot on the 5th September 1812, he was present at the battles of Vittoria, the Pyrenees, the Siege of San Sebastian, and the battles of Nivelle (where his horse was killed under him), Nive, and Toulouse (where he was slightly wounded).

On 25 July 1814 he was appointed Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. He became Surveyor General of Ordnance in March 1820, and ADC to the King with rank of Colonel in the army on 27 May 1825.

Ulysses de Burgh succeeded as 2nd Baron Downes on 2 March 1826.

On the 5 July 1827 he retired on half pay.

He became Major General on 10 January 1837 and was appointed Colonel of 54th Regiment of Foot on 4 April 1845. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General on 9 November 1846. On 15 August 1850 he transferred to the Colonelcy of the 29th Regiment of Foot and was promoted to the rank of General on 20 June 1854.

He died at Bert House, Athy, County Kildare, on 26 July 1863.