van Straubenzee
military ancestry
Straubenzee is an English surname with Dutch and Prussian origin. It is well-known to be a distinguished British military family and more recently for its connections with the British royal family.
About
Straubenzee is a surname with Dutch and Prussian origin. It is well-known to be a distinguished British and Canadian military family and more recently for its connections with the British royal family.
The English branch was started by Captain Philip van Straubenzee who came to Middlesborough, Yorkshire with the Dutch army in 1744 and married Jane Turner, daughter of Cholmley Turner of Kirkleatham Hall. Cholmley was MP for Yorkshire and the great-nephew of Sir William Turner, Lord Mayor of London.
Their eldest son Colonel Turner van Straubenzee fought in the American Revolution, commanded the 52nd regiment and inspired seven of his Straubenzee nephews to fight in the Napoléonic Wars.
Turner acquired the Spennithorne estate in Yorkshire in 1788, a property that remains in the family today. In 1803 he founded the Yorkshire Dales Yeomanry, nicknamed the Loyal Dales.
Turner’s great-nephew General Sir Charles van Straubenzee was commander of British forces in Hong Kong and China and later he held the office of Governor of Malta.
Eight Straubenzees signed up to the Great War. Of note Major General Sir Casimir van Straubenzee, commander of Singapore and Malaya, is credited as co-founding the creeping barrage and being a friend and adviser to Field Marshal Alanbroke.
Since Captain Philip’s arrival on UK soil, Thirty-One Straubenzees have fought for King or Queen and country, eight of which have died during action. The family have won 100 medals, including five DSO’s and one MC, and fought in close to every British campaign from 1745 to 1980.
To find out more please click on each individual member.