HICKMAN, THOMAS EDGECUMBE,
Captain, was born 25 July 1859, son of Sir
A Hickman, first Baronet, MP for West Wolverhampton, and Lucy Owen Smith, of
Portsea, Hants. He was educated at Cheltenham College, and entered the Army
19 February 1881, serving in the Egyptian Camel Corps in 1884-85, and
accompanying the River Column (Medal with two clasps; Bronze Star; Fourth
Class Medjidie). He took part in the operations at Suakin in 1887; action
of Handoub; operations at Suakin, 1888; action of Gemaizah, as DAAG to
General Grenfell (Despatches [London Gazette, 11 January 1889]; Fourth Class
Osmanieh; Clasp); operations on the Egyptian Frontier, 1889; as DAAG to
Colonel Wodehouse's Column; action at Arguin; action of Toski, as Brigade
Major to Colonel Kitchener, Commanding Mounted Troops. For his services in
this last-mentioned campaign he was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette,
6 September 1889]; received a clasp, and was created a Companion of the
Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 8 November 1889]: "Thomas
Edgecumbe Hickman, Captain, The Worcestershire Regiment. In
recognition of services during the action at Toski". He became Brevet Major
in 1896. He took part in the operations in the Sudan, 1896-99; Dongola
Expedition in 1896, as AAG, Infantry Division, to General Hunter, until
invalided (Despatches [London Gazette, 3 November 1896]; Medal; Brevet of
Major; Clasp); in the operations in the Sudan, 1898; commanded the 10th
Battalion Egyptian Infantry; commanded troops at the capture of Shendy and
destruction of Mahmud's Depot; Battle of the Atbara (Despatches; Clasp);
Battle of Omdurman; Despatches; Clasp; Khartoum Medal; Brevet of Lieutenant
Colonel); operations round Gedarif in command of the 12th Sudanese Regiment
(Clasp); final operations round Gedid
as Chief Staff Officer to General Wingate; defeat and death of the Khalifa
(Despatches and Brevet of Colonel, March 1900). In 1899 and
1900 he commanded troops in the
Dongola District, and in 1899 was appointed Governor of the Dongola
Province. He was on special service in South Africa, 1900-1 (Despatches;
created a CB 1900); commanded a column of mounted troops in the Transvaal,
Orange River Colony and Cape Colony in 1900; was Inspector-General, Cape
Colonial Forces, in 1901; commanded the Western District, Cape Colony, 1902;
commanded columns under General French in the Southern District, Cape
Colony, 1901-2 (Queen's Medal with three clasps; King's Medal with two
clasps); commanded Middelburg District, Cape Colony, as Brigadier General,
1902-8. He became Colonel 19 December 1903, and was on half-pay (late
Staff) from 29 February 1908, and on retired pay 4 April 1914. He became
Temporary Brigadier General 14 September 1914. Brigadier General Hickman
was Unionist MP for Wolverhampton since 1910, and was DL for the county of
Staffordshire. He married, in 1908, Elizabeth Maud Mackenzie, daughter
of Surgeon General D A Smith, of Kimberley, and they had one son and one
daughter. His favourite recreations were hunting, shooting, fishing and
stalking.
