Oakes, Hildebrand, Sir, 1754-1822

British army officer and colonial administrator. Oakes was made an ensign in 1767, lieutenant in 1771, captain in 1776, major in 1791, deputy quartermaster-general then quartermaster-general of the army in the Mediterranean in 1794, and lieutenant-colonel in 1795. He served as an aide-de camp to commanders and participated in the Egyptian campaign of 1801. From October 1802 to August 1804, Oakes was brigadier-general in Malta, then became lieutenant-governor at Portsmouth. He was promoted to major-general in January 1805 and held the same rank as well as that of quartermaster-general to the army in the Mediterranean in July 1806. A career military officer, he had been stationed in the American colonies, the West Indies, Ireland, Portugal, and throughout the Mediterranean. In Malta, he was given command of the garrison in March 1808 and the local rank of lieutenant-general in April 1810. In May 1810, Oakes became Civil Commissioner of Malta, which he served until relinquishing the post due to poor health in October 1813. Thereafter, he served as lieutenant-general of the ordnance from January 1814 until his death. He died in London on September 9, 1822.