James Adolphus Oughton was born in 1720 and became a Lieutenant
in 1741 in St George’s Regiment of Dragoons which his father
had commanded from 1733-36.
He was promoted Captain in 1742 when he joined Major General Henry
Ponsonby’s Regiment of Foot (later the 37th Regiment) in which
he served during the Scottish Rebellion and at Culloden. The Regiment’s
losses were heavy and Captain Oughton did much to recruit replacements
before the Regiment, now known as Dejeans, went to Flanders and
Lauffeldt in June 1747. By August 1749 Oughton was Lieutenant Colonel
of his Regiment and in July 1759 he became Colonel of the 55th Foot
which had been on active service in the conquest of French Canada.
In August 1761 Oughton changed his Colonelship on moving to the
31st Foot. During his Colonelcy the Regiment served overseas in
the American War of Independence. Later he appears to have been
temporarily in command of forces in Scotland, soon after which he
was made a Knight of the Bath by King George III in North Britain,
a post he held until his death at the age of 61 in Bath on 2nd May
1780. A memorial tablet was placed in Westminster Abbey.
A portrait of him dated 1753, when he was still in the 37th Foot
(later The Royal Hampshire Regiment), depicts him in the Duke of
Cumberland’s uniform and wearing the Culloden medal and ribbon.