General Sir John Hart Dunne

General Sir John Hart Dunne K.C.B. (1835–1924) was a noted British soldier. Born in Cartrun, County Roscommon, Ireland. In 1852, he was first commissioned into the 62nd Regiment and transferred into the 21st Regiment in 1854. He served in the Crimean War where he saw action at the battles of Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman and at the Siege of Sevastopol. In 1855, he became a Captain and served in the 99th Regiment of Foot in India. It was with this unit that he participated in 1860 in the notorious Second Opium War with China. As part of the plunder gained during the ransacking of the Summer Palace five lapdogs were seized. In April 1861 Captain Hart Dunne gifted one of these dogs, Looty, to Queen Victoria for the Royal Collection of dogs. Hart Dunne thus became credited with the introduction of Pekinese dogs into Britain. A picture of Looty was painted for the Queen by Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl. Hart Dunne also received a replica of the picture. Promotions followed; In 1865 Lieutenant-Colonel, 1881 Major-General, 1889 Lieutenant-General in 1889, and 1893 General. Final appointments included 1894 Lieutenancy of the Tower of London, 1898 becoming Colonel of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Wiltshire Regiment. He died in Sidmouth, Devon in 1924. His eldest son was the aeronautical engineer, philosopher and fly-fisherman, John William Dunne (1875-1949).[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Looty (1861), in the Royal Collection.

Works
  • Dunne, John Hart. 1861. From Calcutta to Pekin, being notes taken from the journal of an officer between those places, by J.H. Dunne. London: S. Low, Son and Co.

References
  1. Wright, Richard (2018) Tale of ‘colourful’ General is retold at museum’s new military exhibition, Sidmouth Herald, 5th July
  2. Royal Collection Trust Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl (1823-71), Looty Signed and dated 1861, https://www.rct.uk/collection/406974/looty
  3. Entract, J. (1972). Looty, A Small Chinese Dog, Belonging To Her Majesty. Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, 50(204), 237-238.
  4. Barnebys An Interesting collection of objects related to General Sir John Hart Dunne https://www.barnebys.co.uk/auctions/lot/an-interesting-collection-of-items-relating-to-general-sir-john-hart-P-fd5tgV4Y
  5. Dunne, John Hart. 1861. From Calcutta to Pekin, being notes taken from the journal of an officer between those places, by J.H. Dunne. London: S. Low, Son and Co.
  6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162881182/john-hart-dunne
  7. "No. 26482". The London Gazette. 6 February 1894. p. 764.
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