Jean-François O’Mahony

Born on 7 October 1772 in Calais (Pas-de-Calais), died on 8 June 1842 in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais).

Jean-François O’Mahony enters as supernumerary Second-Lieutenant in the Irish regiment Dillon on 30 September 1786. He gets a charge in 1787 but emigrates in 1791 with his regiment and joins the Army of the Princes where he is promoted to Captain and takes part in the campaign in Champagne. After the disbanding of the Army of the Princes in 1793, he enlists in 1794 in the Royal Irish Brigade and serves in the West Indies in 1796-1797. In 1799 he is transferred to the German Queen’s Regimen and takes part in the campaigns of 1799-1800 in Mediterranean and of 1801-1802 in Egypt where he is wounded at Alexandria and awarded the Turkish Order of the Crescent. After the amnesty of 1802, he returns to France and is appointed as Major in 1809. He takes part in the campaigns of 1809-1811 in the armies of Spain and Portugal.

He is promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 3rd Foreign Regiment (Irish) in 1812 and Colonel of that regiment on 4 December 1813. He is in Antwerp during the siege of 1814.

After the Restoration, he is awarded Knight’s cross of the Order of the Lily, Knight’s cross of the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis on 3 August 1814 and Knight’s cross of the Legion d’Honneur on 9 November. He resigns during the Hundred Days and is appointed Colonel of the Legion of Haute Loire department after the Second Restoration. Promoted to Brigadier in 1823, he takes part in the campaign in Spain where he is given command of Jerez and then of the 3rd Brigade of Cadiz Division and becomes Grand Cross of the Spanish Order of Saint-Ferdinand. In 1825 he is appointed Infantry General Inspector for 14th and 15th Military Divisions and is awarded Commander’s cross of the Legion d’Honneur on 29 October 1828. He is posted in the reserve pool in 1831.