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An Englishman who started his career in 1804 as an ensign in a West
India regiment. He successively served with the 7th Foot, the 70th
Foot, the Ist Royal Scots and the 22nd Light Dragoons. In 1823,
he was appointed paymaster to the 16th Foot. While stationed at
Karnal in 1837, he embezzled large sums of money and deserted the
British troops. He came to Lahore towards the end of the year and
joined the Sikh army as a battalion commander on Rs 800 per month,
later commuted for a jagir of three villages near Rawalpindi. Ford's
battalion belonged to Avitabile's brigade. At the time of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh's funeral procession, Ford commanded the regiment that
lined up the streets of Lahore.
After the Maharaja's death, European employees
of the court became suspect especially in the eyes of the Sikh troops.
In March 1841, Ford was at Hazara when he was attacked by his own
men and seriously injured. He escaped to Peshawar where he died
of the injuries a month later.
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