John Keane, 1st Baron Keane

Lieutenant-General John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, GCB, GCH (6 February 1781 – 24 August 1844) was an Irish soldier in the British Army.

Background
Keane was born in Belmont, Ireland, the second son of Sir John Keane, 1st Baronet. He joined the British Army as an Ensign at age 11 in 1792. He rose the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the 60th Foot and commanded a brigade in the Peninsular War. For his services there, he was awarded the Army Gold Cross with two clasps for Martinique, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, the Nive, and Toulouse. Promoted to Major-General, Keane commanded the British 3rd brigade at the Battle of New Orleans where he was wounded twice. He served as commander-in-chief in the West Indies and also administered the colonial government of Jamaica.

Actions
Lieutenant-General Keane served as Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army from 1834 to 1840 and commanded the combined British and British Indian army ("The Army of the Indus") during the opening campaign of the First Anglo-Afghan War and first Anglo Marri war. He commanded the victorious British and Indian army at the Battle of Ghazni on 23 July 1839. For his service, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Keane, of Ghuznee and of Cappoquin in the County of Waterford on 23 December 1939.

Personal life
During the course of his life Keane married two times, firstly Grace Smith, the daughter of Lieutenant General Sir John Smith whom he married in 1806, then secondly was Charlotte Maria Boland, the daughter of a Colonel Boland in 1840. From his marriage with Grace Smith the couple had six children. Lord Keane died at Burton Lodge, Hampshire, England, on 24 August 1844.