1818–1885

George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy

Governor, The Gambia

DocumentedProved by 1 record. 16 records that name them have been read, set out on this page. How this archive grades a claim →

Parent

Joseph D'Arcy1780–1848baptism, Westminster, 31 Aug 1818

George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy1818–1885in the tree

8 brothers and sisters

Robert West D'Arcy1820–1862 Richard Wellesley D'Arcy1824–1859 Catherine Lucy Jane D'Arcy1831–1877 John Hyde D'Arcy1832–1852 Josephine D'Arcy1834–1903 Frank Hyde D'Arcy1838–1868 Joseph William D'Arcy1840–1882 William David d'Arcyb. 1842

written in a record this archive has read from the family tree, untested

1 of the 9 relationships shown here is written in a record this archive has read; the other 8 come from the family tree and have not been tested. How claims are labelled →

The record

Born	30 JAN 1818	Montagu Square, Paddington, Greater London, UK
Died	22 OCT 1885	Penzance, UK
Trade	Governor, The Gambia

Counted here with the D'Arcy family · that family →

Family

Parents

Joseph D'Arcy

Married

Caroline N

Brothers and sisters

Robert West D'Arcy (1820–1862) · Richard Wellesley D'Arcy (1824–1859) · Catherine Lucy Jane D'Arcy (1831–1877) · John Hyde D'Arcy (1832–1852) · Josephine D'Arcy (1834–1903) · Frank Hyde D'Arcy (1838–1868) · Joseph William D'Arcy (1840–1882) · William David d'Arcy (b. 1842)

Where this comes from

1 of the relationships drawn above is written in a record this archive has read. baptism, Westminster, 31 Aug 1818.

Every entry naming George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy in the register →

What the records say

Every record this archive has read that names George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy. The name is unique in this tree, so these are his or hers. The whole register →

baptised WESTMINSTER, 31 AUGUST 1818, entered as GEORGE ABBAS KOOLY D'ARCY · father JOSEPH D'ARCY · mother KATHARINE GEORGIANA · ABBAS KOOLY is Abbas Qoli, for Prince Abbas Mirza, whom his father had served five years in Persia · the eldest son, never named in either death notice

recordEngland Births & Baptisms 1538-1975 (FamilySearch index), transcripts read on FindMyPast · the source ↗

ENSIGN, 94TH REGIMENT OF FOOT, by April 1837 · a Gazette memorandum exists only to fix his name: “The Christian names of Ensign D'Arcy, of the 94th Regiment of Foot, are George Abbas Kooli” — he was eighteen, and the War Office had got it wrong

recordThe London Gazette, 27 April 1837, issue 19488, p.1079 · the source ↗

LIEUTENANT, 26 SEPTEMBER 1839 · “Ensign and Adjutant George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy to have the rank of Lieutenant”

recordThe London Gazette, 26 September 1839, issue 19773, p.1824 · the source ↗

CAPTAIN, 12 NOVEMBER 1846 · “Lieutenant George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy to be Captain, vice Davenport”

recordThe London Gazette, 12 November 1846, issue 20664, p.4260 · the source ↗

MAJOR, 3RD WEST INDIA REGIMENT, 6 JULY 1852 · “Captain George Abbas Kooli d'Arcy, FROM THE 94TH FOOT, to be Major, by purchase, vice Findlay, promoted” — fifteen years in one regiment, then a transfer to a West India corps

recordThe London Gazette, 6 July 1852, issue 21336, p.1890 · the source ↗

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, 7 JULY 1854 · “3rd West India Regiment, Major George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, by purchase, vice Murray, who retires” · gazetted in London on 7 July and again in Edinburgh on 11 July

recordThe London Gazette, 7 July 1854, issue 21569, p.2119; The Edinburgh Gazette, 11 July 1854, issue 6402, p.601 · the source ↗

LISTED 7 JULY 1857 as “Lieutenant-Colonel George Abbas Kooli d'Arcy, 3rd West India Regiment”, among officers of mixed rank each carrying a date · THE HEADING OVER THAT LIST HAS NOT BEEN READ, so what it conferred is not stated here — only that he is a Colonel by 1859

recordThe London Gazette, 14 August 1857, issue 22031, p.2790; The Edinburgh Gazette, 18 August 1857, issue 6728, p.750 · the source ↗

GOVERNOR OF THE GAMBIA, 17 JUNE 1859 · “Colonel George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy to be Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Settlements in the River Gambia” — gazetted in the same sentence as the new Governor of Hong Kong

recordThe London Gazette, 17 June 1859, issue 22275, p.2361; The Edinburgh Gazette, 21 June 1859, issue 6920, p.861 · the source ↗

HIS WHOLE CAREER, IN THE COLONIAL OFFICE'S OWN WORDS · “adjutant of the 94th regiment for three years, IN WHICH CORPS HE SERVED 16 YEARS · AUTHOR OF A WORK ON ‘LIGHT INFANTRY DRILL’ · commanded the 3rd West India regiment for several years · served in the SOUTHERN MAHRATTA AND SAWANT-WARREE CAMPAIGN, E.I., 1845-6, UNDER BRIGADIER OUTRAM · was AIDE-DE-CAMP AND ASSISTANT PRIVATE SECRETARY TO FIVE SUCCESSIVE GOVERNORS OF BOMBAY, and also to General Sir Willoughby Cotton when he commanded the Bombay army · SOLD OUT IN 1858” — and he wrote a book

recordThe Colonial Office List for 1877, 16th Publication, biographical notices — Internet Archive colonial-office-list-1877 · the source ↗

GOVERNOR AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE GAMBIA, JUNE 1859, and what he did there · “organised a successful expedition against the powerful robber-king of BADDIBOO, on which occasion he received THE THANKS OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE · commanded the Gambia militia artillery in the field, and was present at THE BATTLE OF SABBA, 21ST FEB. 1861” · he left the Gambia in JANUARY 1867

recordThe Colonial Office List for 1877, 16th Publication, biographical notices — Internet Archive colonial-office-list-1877 · the source ↗

TUBABECOLONG, 1866, AND A VICTORIA CROSS WON BESIDE HIM · when Marabout forces invaded the ceded mile and besieged a British town, he embarked at FORTY-EIGHT HOURS' NOTICE and carried their entrenched position · TWO OFFICERS WERE KILLED AT HIS SIDE, Lieutenants Kelly and Jenkins of the 4th West India Regiment, with four soldiers, two volunteers, four of the native contingent and 61 of all ranks badly wounded · “PRIVATE SAMUEL HODGE, WHO FOLLOWED COLONEL D'ARCY THROUGH THE STOCKADE, RECEIVED THE VICTORIA CROSS” — Hodge was among the first black soldiers to be awarded it · on leaving, the European merchants gave him an address and a SWORD OF HONOUR WORTH £120, “for devoted bravery at the storming of Tubabecolong”

recordThe Colonial Office List for 1877, 16th Publication, biographical notices — Internet Archive colonial-office-list-1877 · the source ↗

GOVERNOR OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS, 1870 · RETIRED, 1876 · the Colonial Office's own list of Falkland governors runs “W. F. C. Robinson, 1866 · COLONEL D'ARCY, 1870 · T. F. Callaghan, 1876”, and its list of Gambia governors “1852 Colonel L. S. O'Connor · 1859 COLONEL G. A. K. D'ARCY · 1866 Admiral C. G. E. Patey” — TWO COLONIES AND AN OCEAN APART, confirmed from the department that appointed him

recordThe Colonial Office List for 1877, 16th Publication, biographical notices — Internet Archive colonial-office-list-1877 · the source ↗

“THE PRESENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FAMILY · Colonel George Abbas Kooli d'Arcy, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Gambia, who, THROUGH HIS MOTHER, CLAIMS DESCENT FROM EDWARD III (vide Burke's Royal Families)” · his mother was Catherine Georgiana West · arms given as “Azure, semee of cross crosslets, and three cinquefoils, argent”, crest “a spear broken or, banded gules” — a CLAIM reported in 1866, not a pedigree proved

recordNotes and Queries, 3rd Series, Vol. X, 1 December 1866, p.432 — read in the open scans, Internet Archive notesqueries310unse · the source ↗

A SECOND GOVERNORSHIP, AND THE ARCHIVE HAD NEITHER · “Colonel George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy: GOVERNOR OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS 1870-1876” · he is listed again among colonial governors after Luke Smythe O'Connor — so the Gambia from 1859 and the Falklands from 1870, two colonies and the width of the Atlantic between them

recorda Falkland Islands bibliography and Henige, Colonial Governors from the Fifteenth Century to the Present, both indexed in the Internet Archive's full text · the source ↗

ADJUTANT, 94TH FOOT, in the monthly Army Lists of 1840 · “Adj. Geo. Abbas Kooli [D']Arcy” in both the January-June and July-December volumes — THESE ARE THE “MILITARY RECORDS FOR 1840 AND 1841” this archive had as a bare mention and had never identified

recordThe Army List [British Army] 1840, monthly, January-June and July-December · the source ↗

HIS CAPTAINCY PRINTED TWICE · “Lieutenant George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy to be Captain, vice Davenport” also appears in a trade paper — an independent printing of the Gazette notice of November 1846

recordThe Military Magazine, Vol. 1, No. II, December 1846 · the source ↗

Everywhere George appears in this archive

Every page of this site that writes aboutGeorge Abbas Kooli D'Arcy in prose, gathered automatically — 8 in total. This counts pages, not records: the lists and registers are skipped on purpose, so a person can be well documented and appear here once or not at all. How claims are labelled →

Twelve generations, and two claims too far.

…he colonel who was to prove the descent is notAddedthe Colonial Office's own biography of George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy — a book he wrote, a battle, and a Victoria Cross won beside himAddedRobert D'Arcy at Minorca 1781, Copenhagen and Walcheren 1809…

What changed

…the first time that has happened. AND THE RESEARCH GOT A PAGE INSTEAD OF A REGISTER LINE. George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy had been going into this archive the way everything does — record lines in the register, rows on the search log, a paragraph in t…

Australia

…re ultimately placed with Mr. Christie, 4th Mathematical Master. His eldest son was named George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy at the Shah's request, and became governor of the Gambia and of the Falkland Islands. Constantine, Royal Engineers Christened at…

George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy

Westminster 1818 — Devon 1885 · found 9 October 2026 George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy Joseph D'Arcy's eldest son, carried on these pages for a month as two index entries. He governed the Gambia and then the Falkland…

What Has Been Read

…not be reached"> 07 Oct 2026 FreeBMD — GRO death index, DARCY, 1885 could not be reached George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy's death registration — he died 22 October 1885 The December quarter of 1885 is not in FreeBMD. The search returns DARCY deaths fo…

Robert and Jean's family

…and Charlotte One of the Three Aunts in Persian dress, brought home by her brother Joseph George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy Robert West D'Arcy Annie Hewish D'Arcy, née Adams Amy Darwin, née Ruck, and Charles Darwin It settles a name the tree could not.…

Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph D'Arcy

…page the day they were found and did not reach the register for a day . Until they did, [George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy](/people/george-abbas-kooli-d-arcy/) carried the line «No record has been found for them» and both boys' pedigree charts drew the…

The work list

…3rd West India Regiment in 1852, Lieutenant-Colonel in 1854, and on 17 June 1859 «Colonel George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy to be Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Settlements in the River Gambia» . The question «which corps, whi…

What is written about George

Carried across from the family tree, with its markup stripped. Family testimony, not an independent record — valuable, and labelled.

Governor of the Falklands Islands
1870 - 1876 Colonel George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy
Col. George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy 1818-1885 (former Governor of The Gambia & Falkland Islands. He was married to Caroline N. "adopted" a daughter in the Falkland Islands named Alice Coulson b abt 1870 to William Coulson & Martha Maguire.
Gentlman Cadet to Ensign from Royal Military College 21st April 1837 by purchase. 59th Regiment.
Col. George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy (1818-1885) Governor-General of the Falkland Islands in the 1870's (Governor of The Gambia prior to that).
He married Caroline Smith and "adopted" Alice Coulson (~1870->1901 b. Stanley, Falkland Islands), the daughter of William Coulson & Martha Maguire of Stanley, Falkland Islands before 1881.
George's parents were Lt Col Joseph D'Arcy of the Royal Artillery (who died at Priestlands, Lymington, England) & Catherine-Georgiana West (daughter of Earl De La Warr).
His brother was Robert West D'Arcy also a career military man. George was born in England and died in Plymouth (Hartley neighborhood or Hartley Villas-aka Leighton Villas), Devon, England.
Alice Coulson married William P Shand of Old Machar, Aberdeen, Scotland. She was in the 1881 Census of Penzance, Cornwall with George & Caroline D'Arcy.
He died at Leighton (Hartley) Villas, Plymouth, Devon in 1885.
Samuel Hodge VC (1840- 14 January 1868) was a West Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Samuel Hodge was one of a number of West Indian soldiers who were sent to garrison British positions on the West coasat of Africa. White troops suffered terribly from malaria, blackwater fever and dysentery and so the British Army addressed this problem by bringing in troops from the West India regiments.
In 1866, Lieutenant Colonel George Abbas Koolie D'Arcy, commanding officer of the 3rd West India Regiment and Governor of the Gambia, marched to confront a rebellious Marabout leader named Amar Faal at Tubabecolong (also known as Tubab Kolon), a stockaded town on the river's northern bank. The garrison unit in Bathurst at that time was Samuel Hodge's regiment - the 4th West India Regiment. Colonel D'Arcy led 270 officers and men of that battalion together with around 500 warriors from the Soninke tribe to Tubabecelong, attacking the town on 30 June.
Samuel Hodge was approximately 26 years old (his precise date of birth is not known), and only a private at the time. The British force had light armaments and rockets, but were unable to break down the wooden stockade walls by bomardment. Colonel D'Arcy called for volunteers to assist him to try and cut a breach by hand. Two officers and fifteen men (including Samuel Hodge) seized axes and followed him. However, the fire of the defenders was intense and the officers were killed almost immediately whilst, and most of the remaining men were wounded. Colonel D'Arcy and the two remaining uninjured men, Private Hodge and another Private named Boswell, reached the stockade and were able to hack a gap large enough for a man. At approximately that point Private Boswell was killed leaving only D'Arcy and Hodge of the original assault party of 18. Colonel D'Arcy went through the gap, followed closely by Private Hodge who then used his axe to hack open inside fastenings on a gate before he was himself shot down.
Samuel Hodge sustained serious gunshot wounds, but survived. The remaining British troops poured in through the now open gate and in the fierce fighting that followed, several hundred of the Marabouts were killed and the village and stockade burned down. Once day had been won, Colonel D'Arcy took Hodge and acclaimed him in front of them as the bravest man in the regiment.[1]
He was promoted to the rank of Lance-corporal and presented with the Victoria Cros on June 24, 1867. However, he never fully recovered from the terrible injuries sustained during the attack, and died of fever less than a year later whilst on service in Belize.[2][3]
A Tortolian from the British Virgin Islands, he was only the second black man to ever be awarded the Victoria Cross.[4]

Sources attached in the tree

Archibald-Carter — George Abbas Kooli d'Arcy

These are the citations the family tree carries. Where this archive has checked one against the original, it says so on the relevant page. Method →

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