Sir Thomas Picton: Both hero and villain in life and death

Some of these people fully deserve the praise, while others may not exactly deserve the praise.

One of those in the latter category is Haverfordwest-born Sir Thomas Picton. Here we take a look at the life and controversies of the most high-ranking official to die at the Battle of Waterloo.

Thomas Picton was born in Haverfordwest in 1758 and his military prowess led to him being a symbol of national pride for Wales, with statues created and schools, pubs and streets named after him.

His military prowess cannot be cast aside, he was a career soldier and commissioned in 1771 as ensign in the 12th regiment. The regiment was commanded by his uncle, and he did not see active combat until 1796 in the capture of St Lucia. He fought in the Peninsular War under the Duke of Wellington and rose through the ranks to become Lieutenant-General.

An 1861 article by the Cambria Daily Leader called him a ‘brilliant man’ and that he was ‘a great and illustrious chieftain.’

It states how he went to the West Indies after his 75th regiment was disbanded, and it is here where his reputation is now being rightly questioned.

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While many celebrate his military accolades – more on this later – it cannot be forgotten how he, along with many others in his position during the same period, treated those around him, particularly slaves and those he ruled over.

When Picton went to the West Indies, he was made aide de camp in the attack on St Lucia in 1796. He was also involved in the attack on St Vincent before returning to Europe.

He later returned to the West Indies and commanded an expedition to Trinidad and he became governor of the country.

It was while he was governor here, that he committed a number of atrocities including having dozens of slaves executed and he is said to have ruled through brutality, fearing the potential re-conquest from the Spanish and the amount of slaves on the island outnumbering his force.

The memorial to Sir Thomas Picton at St Paul's Cathedral. Picture: St Paul's Cathedral

The most famous incident in his story took place in 1801. A 14-year-old girl described as a ‘free mulatto’ called Luisa Calderon, was accused of the theft of around £500.

Picton authorised the use of a torture called picketing to get a confession from the girl, which involved her being suspended by the wrists, with the only way to support her body weight was standing on an upturned peg.

It was a common method of punishment in the British Army at the time, with the peg not being sharp enough to penetrate the skin and cause lasting injury, but would cause a lot of pain.

William Fullarton headed a commission to investigate this incident and Picton was ordered back to Britain in 1803 to face trial.

It took two years to bring it to court and Luisa was even brought over to give evidence in person. Picton was convicted of a crime but was never sentenced. He also had the conviction overturned later, claiming that Trinidad was still under Spanish law at the time and that permitted the use of torture.

He subdued a siege in 1809 and as governor, he returned to England to recover from illness and join the Peninsular army, where he featured in many battles under the Duke of Wellington against Napoleon.

He gained a seat in the Commons and was knighted, eventually getting the Knight of the Grand Cross in the same year of his death.

He was injured in 1815 at the Battle of Qautre Bras, but hid the extent of his injuries and led his 5th division troops in the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, just two days after being injured.

It was here where he was shot in the head by the advancing French troops, ending his life.

He was praised by Wellington for his service and memorials were built in St Paul’s Cathedral and Carmarthen – the latter funded by public subscription.

In 2020 during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Picton was among the names of those honoured with statues and other public accolades who were involved in the slave trade, with calls for their statues to be removed and other commemorations such as street names to be changed.

A painting of Picton was removed from the National Museum of Wales in 2022 and replaced by one of William Lloyd.

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