General Sir Francis Reginald Wingate G.C.V.O., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., Fi
Sir Reginald Wingate was born, according to Army records, at Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, on 25th June 1851. However, according to Harmsworth’s Universal Encyclopedia of around 1915, he was born at Broadfield, Renfrewshire, on 25th June 1861 which, from further information, appears to be the correct date.
He was initiated into Lodge St. John Kilwinning, No. 28 (SC) in Kirkintilloch on 19th February 1881 aged 19 years and was passed and raised the same day due to his imminent departure to India. The building in which he was initiated was the “Old Steeple”, part of the original St. Mary’s Parish Church dated 1644. It still stands at Kirkintiloch Cross. It is currently used as part of the “Auld Kirk Museum”, recording the history of Kirkintilloch from pre-Roman times to the current day.
He joined Felix Lodge, No. 355 (SC) in Aden but, sadly, Lodge records prior to 1900 were destroyed by the tropical climate.
We know that he joined Bulwer Lodge of Cairo on 27th December 1898 and was elected an honorary member in 1931. He did not pass our chair, probably due to the high level of membership in those days. He joined Grecial Lodge, No 1105, on 2nd December 1890 and was Worshipful Master in 1892. He was Exalted into Bulwer Chapter on 26th January 1900 and eas First Principal in 1901. He was appointed Past Junior Grand Warden in 1900 and District Grand Master for Egypt & the Sudan from 1900 until 1920.
He was a founder of Khartoum Lodge, No. 2877 in 1901, Sir Reginald Wingate Lodge, No. 2954 in 1903 and Mahfal-al Ittihad Lodge, No. 3348 in 1908 - all baes in Khartoum, Sudan. He was elected an Honorary Member of Lord Kitchener Lodge, No. 3402 (one of our daughter Lodges, still working in Cyprus) on 17th
November 1909.
He was founding First Principal of Sudan Chapter, No. 2954 in 1908 and Union Chapter, No. 3348 in 1911, both in Khartoum.
Sir Reginald was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1880 (which makes the 1861 birthdate more likely as he would have been 19) and he was assigned to the Egyptian Army in 1883 and saw service in the Nile Expedition of 1884 to 1885. In 1889, he became director of Egyptian Military Intelligence and fought several battles against adherents of al-Mahdi. He took part in the Dongola Campaign 1896 and the Khartoum Expedition of 1898.
On 24th November 1899, he defeated and killed the Khalifa Abd Allah ibn Muhmmad, the successor to al-Mahdi. The following month, he was appointed Governor-General of the Sudan, a post which he held until 1916. He was promoted to Major General in 1913 and received his G.C.B. in 1914.
Under his direction, the Sudan developed a sound Government and, in part because of his influence, remained loyal to the Allies during the First World War. He was prised by both Houses of Parliament and decorated 26 times. Winston Churchill was one of his Subalterns.
In 1916, Sir Francis assisted the Saudi rebels in Arabia against the rule of Turkey, with which Britain was at war. In January 1917, he was named as British High Commissioner for Egypt. He was dismissed in October 1919 because of his sympathy with the Egyptian Nationalist Party, but British policy in Egypt generally followed his recommendations. Sir Francis became First Baronet Wingate in 1920. He died on 28th January 1953 in Dunbar, East Lothian aged 91 years.