Major-General Sir John Frederick Maurice

See Pictorial catalogue of AZW graves.

Major-General Sir John Frederick Maurice (1841–1912) was an English soldier, born in London. He studied at Addiscombe College and Woolwich Academy and entered the Royal Artillery in 1861. He was private secretary to Sir Garnet Wolseley in the Ashanti Campaign of 1873–1874; served in the Zulu War in 1880; was deputy assistant adjutant general of the Egyptian expedition in 1882; and was brevetted colonel in 1885. In 1885–1892 Maurice was professor of military history at the Staff College and in 1895 he was promoted to major general. His reputation depends chiefly on his military writings, which include:

* Hostilities without Declaration of War (1883)
* Popular History of Ashanti Campaign (1874)
* a life of his father, John Frederick Denison Maurice (1884)
* The Balance of Military Power in Europe (1888)
* War (1891)
* National Defenses (1897)
* The Franco-German War, 1870–1871 (1900)
* Diary of Sir John Moore (1904)
* History of the War in South Africa, an official account (four volumes, 1906–1910)

This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain

King's College London
Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives

Summary Guide

Note: The item numbers represent a subset from ISAD(G) rules (General International Standard Archival Description) promulgated by the International Council on Archives to standardise archival description world-wide. Only item numbers relevant to our specific archive are included here.

3.1 IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA
3.1.1 Reference code(s): GB 0099 KCLMA Maurice J F
3.1.2 Title: MAURICE, Maj Gen Sir (John) Frederick (1841-1912)
3.1.3 Date(s): 1806-1927
3.1.4 Level of description: Collection (Fonds)
3.1.5 Extent and medium of the unit of description (quantity, bulk or size): 0.5 box (0.005 cubic metres)

3.2 CONTEXT AREA
3.2.1 Name of creator(s): Maurice | Sir John Frederick | 1841-1912 | Knight | Major General
3.2.2 Administrative/Biographical history: Born in 1841; educated Addiscombe College and Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; commissioned into Royal Artillery 1861; passed through Staff College, 1870; Private Secretary to FM Sir Garnet Joseph Wolseley in Ashanti Campaign, 1873-1874; served in South Africa, 1879-1880, Egypt, 1882, and the Sudan, 1884-1885; also served in Intelligence Department, War Office; Professor of Military History, Staff College, 1885-1892; Aldershot, 1892-1893; commanding Royal Artillery, Eastern District, 1893-1895; Maj Gen, 1895; commanded Woolwich District, 1895-1902; died in 1912.
3.2.3 Archival history:
3.2.4 Immediate source of acquisition or transfer: Presented to the Centre by the family in 1973.

3.3 CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA
3.3.1 Scope and content: Papers collected or created by Maj Gen Sir (John) Frederick Maurice, dated 1872-1912, principally comprising letters from Gen Sir Archibald Hunter concerning operations in the Sudan, 1885, 1896-1898, notably including description of Battle of Omdurman, 1898; correspondence with FM Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, 1879, 1881, 1886, [1889-1905], notably including letters from Maurice concerning operations against the Zulu king Cetewayo (Cetshwayo), 1879.
3.3.2 Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
3.3.3 Accruals:
3.3.4 System of arrangement: These papers make up section 2 of the Maurice family collection. Sections 1, 3 and 4 consist of the papers of Maurice's son, Maj Gen Sir Frederick Barton Maurice.

3.4 CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA
3.4.1 Conditions governing access: Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of a letter of introduction.
3.4.2 Conditions governing reproduction: Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the College Archivist.
3.4.3 Language/scripts of material: English
3.4.4 Physical characteristics and technical requirements:
3.4.6 Finding aids: Detailed catalogue available on line and also in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

3.5 ALLIED MATERIALS AREA
3.5.1 Existence and location of originals:
3.5.2 Existence and location of copies:
3.5.3 Related units of description: The archives of King's College London (GB0100) include papers relating to Frederick Denison Maurice (father of John Frederick Maurice). Manuscript Collections, British Library (GB 0058) hold notes relating to his edition of Sir John Moore's diaries, 1899-1902 (Ref: Add MS 57545) and correspondence with Macmillan and Co, 1872-1911 (Ref: Add MS 55075). The Department of Manuscripts, National Library of Scotland (GB 0233) holds correspondence with Blackwood and Sons (Ref: MSS 4201-4634).
3.5.4 Publication note:

3.6 NOTE AREA
3.6.1 Note:

3.7 DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA
3.7.1 Archivist's note:
3.7.2 Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997
3.7.3 Date(s) of descriptions: Mar 1997

He accompanied Sir Garnet Wolseley to South Africa, and served on his personal staff till the conclusion of the war. He took part in Major Barrow’s Force, in the pursuit of the King.

Born - London, 24th May 1841, the son of Frederick and Anna Maurice.
Educated - Woolwich.
Married - Annie Fitzgerald, 1869.
Service - He had a distinguished career seeing action in Ashanti, South Africa (wounded in Sekhukhune Campaign), Egypt and the Nile.
Zulu War -He arrived with Sir Garnet Wolseley on whose staff he served, taking an active part in the Search for King Cetshwayo.
Died - 11th January 1912 at Camberley.
Buried - Churchyard, Frimley, Surrey.
Grave - The grave is surrounded by a low rail and is marked by a pedestal surmounted by a Celtic Cross.

On his landing at the Cape, June the 23rd, his excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Garnet Wolseley, G. C. M. G, K. C. B., High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief in British South Africa was accompanied by the following officers:- Mr St Leger Herbert, Secretary, Lieutenant-Colonel Baker Russell, C. B., 13th Hussars, Lieutenant-Colonel Brackenbury, R. A., Major Webber, R. E., Major the Hon Wood, 12th Lancers, Captains Bushman, 9th Lancers, Yeatman Biggs, R. A., Paterson, 16th Regiment, Maurice, R. A., Braithwaite, 71st Regiment, Doyle, 2nd Dragoon Guards, Lieutenant Creagh, R. A., Dr W Howard Russell, Brevet-Colonel Pomeroy Colley (2nd Queen’s Royals), C. B., Chief of the Staff, Brevet-Major H McCalmont, 7th Hussars, Captain Lord Gifford, V. C., 57th Regiment, Lieutenant Braithwaite and Lieutenant Creagh aides-de-camp.
Leaving Capetown by the C. R. M. S. ‘Dunkeld’ on the 24th, Sir Garnet landed at Durban on the 27th, and proceeded at once to Pietermaritzburg.

He was reported dangerously wounded at Sekukuni’s kraal on the 28th November 1879.

Date of Birth - 24th May 1841
First Appointment - Lieutenant - Royal Artillery - 18th December 1861
Captain - Royal Artillery - 10th March 1875
Brevet Major - 21st April 1880
Major - Royal Artillery - 9th September 1882
Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel - 18th November 1882
Instructor in Military History, R M C - 1st February 1869 to 31st January 1870
Instructor in Tactics, R M C - 1st February 1870 to 11th September 1873
Special Services, Ashanti Expedition - 12th September 1873 to 23rd March 1874
Special Services, South Africa - 30th March 1879 to 13th February 1880
Brigade major, Royal Artillery, Cork District - 9th March 1881 to 2nd September 1881
D A A & Q M G, Expeditionary Force, Egypt - 4th August 1882 to 5th November 1882
D A Q M G (Intelligence Department - Section ‘B‘) Head-Quarters of Army from 13th March 1884
He passed the Staff College Examination in 1870
Ashanti War - 1873-4 - Relief of Abrakrampa, battle of Amoaful, capture and destruction of Beequah, battle of Ordahsu and capture of Coomassie. Despatches, London Gazette, 6th and 7th March 1874. Medal with Clasp.
South African War - 1879 - Zulu Campaign - Pursuit of Zulu king, and operations against Sekukuni’s town (severely wounded). Despatches, London Gazette16th January 1880. Medal with Clasp; Brevet of Major.
Egyptian Expedition - 1882 - D. A. A. G. Head-Quarters. Despatches, London Gazette, 2nd November 1882. Medal with Clasp; bronze star; Brevet of lieutenant-Colonel; 4th Class Osmanieh.

See Pictorial catalogue of AZW graves for photo's

Good Work 1879Graves I have spend hours looking for his Grave.

:lol!: Sorry mate I did not know :lol!:

Gents. I had never heard of this find looking gentleman until now. Thank You. If gives me something to research.

G.

No Problem. Glad to be of some use. But 1879Graves done most of the work on this gent.

Mr Greaves

If you find anything else about Frederick Maurice, please keep us informed :)

:lol!: It was a joint effort :lol!:

John Frederick Maurice (1841-1912) was professor of military art and history at the Staff College from 1885 to 1892 and author of the 1888 Britannica article on "War" just cited. He has been characterized as "one of the most articulate spokesmen for the Wolseley Ring," the reformist military clique that struggled for control of the British army from 1873 to the South African War. He was, in fact, Sir Garnet Wolseley's best friend, his "second pen."

Maurice seems to have had an engaging personality and, in the earlier part of his career, was a highly capable field officer with considerable combat experience in colonial expeditions. As he aged, however, he grew impractical, argumentative, and absentminded to the point of becoming a figure of fun. In 1897, a sympathetic but realistic Wolseley asserted that Maurice was "incapable of weighing [his] own capacity" for command but "much abler with his pen ... than ever."

Maurice first came to prominence in 1871 when, as a subaltern and instructor in tactics at Sandhurst, he won the £100 Wellington Prize essay competition on the subject "The System of Field Manoeuvres Best Adapted for Enabling Our Troops to Meet a Continental Army." (Colonel Wolseley won second prize.) At what point Maurice first read Clausewitz is unclear; although the bibliography for this essay listed many works in German, On War was not included. It is therefore open to speculation whether the many "Clausewitzian" elements in his analysis reflect the influence of On War (either directly or via other writers) or a predisposition to the acceptance of its arguments. Such elements include his views on the chain of command, his focus on the destruction of the enemy's will to fight, and his ideas concerning the relationship between the offensive and the defensive. Despite his admiration of the German army and his knowledge of its many offensive successes in the just-concluded war with France, he maintained a healthy skepticism of both the German organizational model and purely offensive prescriptions. Maurice recommended pursuit of the strategic offensive, but by means of defensive tactics.

Maurice enlarged his 1888 Britannica article and added a long bibliographical discussion. He then published it in 1891 as a book entitled simply War, "one of the best known of his purely military works" and "one of the most famous works on the subject of war published in England during the nineteenth century." Although Maurice repeated his high praise for On War in a number of places, a cursory examination of the book would indicate that it is essentially a Jominian work; the definitions of strategy and tactics come straight out of Hamley's Operations of War. It is clear that Maurice, like the earlier English writers discussed by Hew Strachan, rejected the centrality of battle in Clausewitz's definition of strategy.

A closer examination, however, reveals some rather un-Jominian features in his thought. Maurice raised the question as to whether strategy, like tactics, changed over time. In an extensive discussion, he concluded that it did, crediting the changes not only to technological developments but also to evolution in "the very spirit, discipline, and organization by which [armies] are held together." This distinctly Clausewitzian perception was accompanied by explicit references to Clausewitz on the role of military theory and the purpose of military education. Throughout, Maurice stressed the importance of considering the specifics of each case. He also echoed Clausewitz in his skepticism regarding complex stratagems and maneuvers. Although not a "Clausewitzian" as modern writers have defined the term, Maurice was definitely drawing heavily on the philosophy of On War, which, judging by his critical comments concerning Graham's translation, he had studied in German.

Maurice's comments on the uses of military history appear to have been drawn directly from On War. He stressed the superiority of a "close and intimate study" of one campaign over a broad superficial coverage, the role of theory in educating an officer's judgment, and the need for his student staff officers to develop a capacity for independent thought. In this latter aspect he was quite different from Hamley.

Military history was, he wrote, "worthless except in so far as it places the man who reads it in the position of those whose actions he is studying, and therefore enables him to profit by their experience, and to learn both from their failures, their misfortunes, and their successes."

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Illustrated London News - Saturday 20 January 1912