Born in April 1822 at Stratford Cottage in Stroud, Gloucestershire, Colonel Edmund Gilling Hallewell (1822–1869) was the eldest of twelve siblings. His father, also named Edmund Gilling Hallewell, was a prominent local figure and a Member of the UK Parliament

Educated at Rugby School, Hallewell entered the military at age 17, purchasing a commission as an ensign in 1839.

A Global Military Career                                       

Hallewell’s service began with a posting to Bermuda in 1841 serving as Lieutenant and Adjutant of the 20th or East Devon Regimen until 1847. In addition to his military duties, he also served as private secretary to the Governor, Colonel William Reid. He subsequently married Sophia Reid, the Governor's daughter.  

His career was defined by the Crimean War, where he served with the 28th Regiment of Foot as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General to the Light Division. He saw heavy action at the battles of Alma, Inkermann, and the Siege of Sebastopol. At Alma, his horse, 'Malt', was shot in three places, though Hallewell remained unhurt. For his bravery and command of a storming party at Sebastopol in 1855, he received the French Legion of Honour, the Ottoman Order of the Medjidie, and the Sardinian Silver Medal of Military Valor.

After the war, he served as Assistant Adjutant General and Deputy Quarter Master General in Malta under his father-in-law, who had become the island's Governor. Hallewell reached the rank of Colonel in 1860 and concluded his career as the Commandant of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in 1864.

The Legacy of a Master Draughtsman

Beyond his tactical skills, Hallewell was a celebrated artist. His military training in surveying and mapping evolved into a mastery of watercolours. In 1842 whilst in Bermuda, Hallewell, with Reid's encouragement, produced watercolours of scenes on the island. These were then sent by Reid to the Colonial Office in London.  Interest in the watercolours both in London and Bermuda was such that Hallewell published a suite of views in 1848. The suite was obviously issued in relatively small numbers and is now very rare: only two copies (one incomplete) are listed as having sold at auction in the past 35 years.

Beyond the Royal Collection, his Bermuda watercolours are held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Library (one album) and the Bermuda Historical Society Museum, which holds eight other extant works.

Hallewell is perhaps best remembered for his ambitious 360° panorama of the camps at Sebastopol, created in 1855. This work so impressed Queen Victoria that she sent him a valuable pencil case as a token of her gratitude; the piece remains in the Royal Collection today.

During his years in Malta, he produced extensive landscapes of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, capturing a secluded 19th-century world. His work continues to hold significant value at auction; for example, a watercolour titled Valletta and the Grand Harbour, Malta (dated 1860) sold for £2,640 in 2005.

                               

In March 1864, following a distinguished career in the Crimea and Malta, Colonel Hallewell reached the pinnacle of his service when he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Hallewell’s appointment as Commandant was particularly notable given his own unconventional path to leadership.

Sadly Hallewell’s time at Sandhurst was short lived, with his life cut short at age 47 by a debilitating illness, possibly exacerbated by the hardships of war. In the photo above from this time shows how his features belie his age, his moustache has gone white and he holds a walking stick in his arthritic hands.

 He died in November 1869 whilst serving at Sandhurst and is buried in plot 250 at the Academy cemetery.

His grave will be lovingly restored as part of the New Heritage Project: Restoring the RMAS Cemetery. By supporting this project, you can help preserve the memory of Colonel Edmund Gilling Hallewell and other heroes of our history, ensuring their remarkable stories continue to inspire future generations. Make a lasting contribution today by visiting here to DONATE.