for two years, returning to England in April 1876, and was stationed for a time at Chatham. He was commanding Royal Engineer of the western district, and stationed at Plymouth from 1877 till 1 October 1881, when he retired from the service on a pension, with the honorary rank of major-general. After retirement he interested himself in charitable works connected with the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and was chairman of the metropolitan district of the St. John's Ambulance Association. Porter died on 27 May 1892, and was buried at St. Michael's Church, York Town, now in Camberley, Surrey, of which he had been churchwarden for many years. He had contributed towards its enlargement, and had carved the ornamental foliage on the chancel screen. Works Porter published Life in the Trenches before Sebastopol, London, 1856. It was followed by A History of the Knights of Malta (2 vols. London, 1858); which he revised for an edition in 1883, and also abridged. His major work of later life was History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, which was published in two volumes in 1889. One of his last acts was to present the copyright of the work to the Corps. A continuation was added, through 11 volumes. Family Porter married in London, on 25 October 1847, Annie Shirley da Costa, by whom he had two children: Catherine, who married Captain Crosse; and Reginald da Costa, a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers who died in accident in 1882. Porter erected a reredos at St. Michael's Church, York Town, to the memory of Reginald. References Attribution 1827 births 1892 deaths British Army generals Royal Engineers officers British Army personnel of the Crimean War