Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Penny, Nicholas
PENNY, NICHOLAS (1790–1858), brigadier-general, son of Robert Penny of Weymouth, Dorset, the descendant of a family long settled at that place, was born in November 1790, and was appointed to the Bengal army in 1806. He was gazetted ensign in the Bengal native infantry 16 Aug. 1807, lieutenant 19 Dec. 1812, brevet captain 5 March 1822, regimental captain 13 May 1825, brevet major 19 Jan. 1826, regimental major 2 Feb. 1842, brevet lieutenant-colonel 23 Nov. 1841, regimental lieutenant-colonel 29 July 1848, brevet colonel 7 June 1849, regimental colonel 15 Sept. 1851, and major-general 28 Nov. 1854. Penny served with the utmost distinction throughout the siege of Bhurtpore, the first Sikh war, and the Indian mutiny, from 1825 to 1858, and was constantly employed on active service. In November 1825 he attended the commander-in-chief, Lord Amherst, on service to Agra. He was present as deputy assistant quartermaster-general with the second division of infantry at the siege of Bhurtpore 3 Dec. 1825. He was thanked in divisional orders by Major-general Nicholls for his services, and shared in the Bhurtpore prize-money. In 1853 he was granted the India ‘Retrospective’ medal with the ‘Bhurtpore’ clasp. Penny was brigade-major on the establishment from 2 Oct. 1826 to 19 May 1828. He was appointed to Muttra and Agra frontier 4 Oct. 1826, deputy assistant adjutant-general on the establishment 19 May 1828, and assistant adjutant-general of a division 9 July 1832. He was granted the brevet rank of major for distinguished services in the field (London Gazette, 1 Aug. 1834), and was appointed to command the Nusseree battalion 2 June 1841, and was reported as ‘a most zealous officer’ (Inspection Report, 30 Oct. 1841). He was appointed to the command of the twelfth brigade of the fifth division of infantry of the army of the Sutlej on 1 Jan. 1846, and on the breaking up of this brigade was appointed to the command of the second infantry brigade 16 Feb. 1846. He served at the battle of Aliwal, and was highly commended in despatches (London Gazette, 27 March 1846). At the battle of Sobraon, in the first Sikh war, Penny was slightly wounded; his services were highly spoken of in despatches both by Major-general Sir H. Smith and by the governor-general, Sir Henry Hardinge (ib. 1 April 1846). He received for this campaign the ‘Aliwal’ medal with the ‘Sobraon’ clasp, and was created C.B. 30 June 1846. He was posted to the 69th Bengal native infantry, and ordered to Lahore 27 Sept. 1848. He was appointed to the command of the seventh brigade of the third infantry division of the army of the Punjab, with the rank of brigadier, 13 Oct. 1848. He had ceased to command the Nusseree battalion, on promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, 7 Oct. 1848. He was removed from the 69th to the 70th Bengal N.I., 12 Jan. 1849, and was present at the action at Chillianwalla in command of the reserve, and also at the action at Goojerat. He was again mentioned in despatches, and received the thanks of the governor-general, lord Dalhousie. Penny was removed to the 2nd European regiment 31 March 1849, and was appointed aide-de-camp to the queen, and granted the brevet rank of colonel for his services in the Punjab (ib. 5 June 1849). He also received the ‘Punjab’ medal with the ‘Chillianwallah’ and ‘Goojerat’ clasps. In 1850 he was removed from the 2nd European regiment to the 40th Bengal N. I., was appointed second-class brigadier, and posted to the district of Rohilcund 14 July 1851. He was transferred to the command of the Jullunder field force 2 Feb. 1852, and on 28 Aug. 1852 he was appointed to command the Sirhind division, and subsequently he was again transferred to the command of the Lind-Sangor district 22 Nov. 1853, and to the Sialkot command 19 Jan. 1854. In May 1855 he was appointed to the temporary divisional staff, and posted to the Cawnpore division, and 30 June 1857 he was appointed to the divisional staff of the army as major-general, and posted to the Meerut division. When the mutiny was at its height he was appointed to command the Delhi field force, in conjunction with that of the Meerut division, from 30 Sept. 1857. This was after the capture of Delhi, as Sir Archdale Wilson kept command until the city was taken. Penny was among the recipients of the ‘Indian mutiny’ medal. He was killed while in command of the Meerut division on 4 May 1858. He had advanced too far from his supports, in order to reconnoitre a village near Budaon. Of the twenty carabineers of his escort, one half fell at the first discharge from a masked battery. The general's bridle-arm being shattered by the grapeshot, his charger ran away with him close to the walls of Budaon, where he was cut down by a party of armed rebels. He was buried at Meerut.
[India Office Records and Medal Roll; Holmes's Indian Mutiny; Allen's Indian Mail; East India Register.]