Early life[edit]
He was the fifth son of Richard Symes of Ballyarthur, and Eleanor Cliffe of Ross, County Wexford, and was educated at Trinity College Dublin.[2]
Symes entered the East India Company Army in 1780, as a cadet in the Bengal Army. On furlough in 1786 as a lieutenant, he re-enlisted in 1787.[2] He went to India again in the following year, with the newly raised 76th Regiment of Foot. He served as aide-de-camp to Sir Thomas Musgrave, 7th Baronet at Madras in 1791, became captain in 1793, and lieutenant-colonel in 1800.[3]
Later life[edit]
His regiment returned to England in 1806, and Symes was in poor health, but had a recommendation from Wellesley to the government. He was twice accommodated. First he had a seat at Carlow from the middle of 1806. The arrangement came to an end with the 1806 general election. A seat in parliament was again found for him in January 1807, after he had unsuccessfully contested St Ives. He became Member of Parliament for Heytesbury. The occurrence of the 1807 general election in short succession cancelled this second arrangement, with Sir William à Court, 1st Baronet. Symes stood for Morpeth, but dropped out of parliament.[2]
Symes was sent in 1808 to Spain. He served during Sir John Moore's retreat to Coruña, suffered from the hardships of the campaign, and died on the way home, on board the transport Mary, on 22 January 1809. His body was taken from Portsmouth to Rochester, and buried in St. Margaret's Church on 3 February 1809.[3]
Family[edit]
When on leave in England Symes married, on 18 February 1801, Jemima, daughter of Paul Pilcher of Rochester. His widow married Sir Joseph de Courcy Laffan, 1st Baronet, and died on 18 August 1835, aged 64.[3]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1898). "Symes, Michael". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 55. London: Smith, Elder & Co.