Sir John Montague Burgoyne, tenth Baronet, was born in 1832, educated at Eton and, entering the Grenadier Guards in 1850, became Lieutenant and Captain in 1851.
He was severely wounded at the Battle of Alma and invalided home. He succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1858. In 1860 he was promoted Lt. Colonel, but retired the following year and lived at Sutton Park.
Burgoyne was a Magistrate, Deputy-Lieutenant and, in 1868, High Sheriff of
Bedfordshire, besides commanding the Bedfordshire Militia, whose history he wrote.
In 1870 his yacht, the Gazelle, was in Deauville and the Empress Eugenie's
doctor came aboard and asked Burgoyne to take her to England. He agreed at once,
but fortunately suggested that she should not come aboard until midnight, for at
11 p.m. the French police came aboard and searched the yacht.
When in 1903 Burgoyne married for the second time, the Empress gave him a silver tea and coffee service and in her will she left him a painting 'In remembrance
of the chivalrous way he came to my assistance'.
The image on the left below shows, from left to right, Sir John Burgoyne, Admiral Bainbridge and Prince Batthyany.