Charles George Arbuthnot
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles George Arbuthnot GCB (19 May 1824 – 14 April 1899) was a British Army
officer. He served in the Royal Artillery
in the Crimean War
and rose to become a lieutenant general
in British India.
Arbuthnot was a twin
, the son of Alexander Arbuthnot
, Bishop of Killaloe. His older brother, Alexander John Arbuthnot
, became a senior civil servant in India
. His half-brother, George Bingham Arbuthnot, was an honorary Major General
and Colonel of the Madras Light Cavalry
in India. He was educated at Rugby
, attended the Royal Military Academy, and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 17 June 1843.
Arbuthnot served in the Crimean War
as a captain in the 10th Battalion of the Royal Artillery. He was slightly wounded in minor actions near Sevastopol
on 17 June 1855. He received a severe wound on 23 August 1855. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB), later advanced to become a Knight Commander of the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
(KCB) and eventually made Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
(GCB) in May 1894.
He went to India in 1868, and was actively employed in the Anglo-Afghan War. On his return to England in 1880, Arbuthnot was appointed deputy adjutant-general of artillery, then inspector-general of artillery, and finally president of the ordnance committee. According to his article in the Dictionary of National Biography
"his firmness and justice made him a highly respected administrator"
He returned to India in 1886 as Commander-in-chief of the Madras Army, the army of the Madras Presidency
and one of the three major armies that constituted the bulk of British forces in India. He served as senior military adviser for the Madras Presidency until 1890. He was appointed Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery 1893.
Arbuthnot married Caroline Charlotte Clarke on 27 October 1868. She had been born in Barbados
in 1845-6, where her father, William Clarke, was a doctor. Their children included Brigadier General Alexander George Arbuthnot, CMG (1917), DSO (1915), Field Artillery. She survived her husband, dying in 1909.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer. He served in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and rose to become a lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in British India.
Arbuthnot was a twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
, the son of Alexander Arbuthnot
Alexander Arbuthnot (bishop)
Alexander Arbuthnot was Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfenora in the then-established Church of Ireland.He was born in Rockfleet Castle, County Mayo, Ireland, on 7 May 1768, the son of John Arbuthnot of Rockfleet. Among his siblings were the Right Honourable Charles Arbuthnot and General Sir Thomas...
, Bishop of Killaloe. His older brother, Alexander John Arbuthnot
Alexander John Arbuthnot
Sir Alexander John Arbuthnot KCSI CIE was a British official and writer. Educated at Rugby School.Arbuthnot served in Madras as the director of Public Instruction ; he was a key force in the incorporation of Madras University ; he was the chief secretary to the Madras Government ; he was a...
, became a senior civil servant in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His half-brother, George Bingham Arbuthnot, was an honorary Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and Colonel of the Madras Light Cavalry
Light cavalry
Light cavalry refers to lightly armed and lightly armored troops mounted on horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the riders are heavily armored...
in India. He was educated at Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, attended the Royal Military Academy, and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 17 June 1843.
Arbuthnot served in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
as a captain in the 10th Battalion of the Royal Artillery. He was slightly wounded in minor actions near Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
on 17 June 1855. He received a severe wound on 23 August 1855. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB), later advanced to become a Knight Commander of the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(KCB) and eventually made Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(GCB) in May 1894.
He went to India in 1868, and was actively employed in the Anglo-Afghan War. On his return to England in 1880, Arbuthnot was appointed deputy adjutant-general of artillery, then inspector-general of artillery, and finally president of the ordnance committee. According to his article in the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
"his firmness and justice made him a highly respected administrator"
He returned to India in 1886 as Commander-in-chief of the Madras Army, the army of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
and one of the three major armies that constituted the bulk of British forces in India. He served as senior military adviser for the Madras Presidency until 1890. He was appointed Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery 1893.
Arbuthnot married Caroline Charlotte Clarke on 27 October 1868. She had been born in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
in 1845-6, where her father, William Clarke, was a doctor. Their children included Brigadier General Alexander George Arbuthnot, CMG (1917), DSO (1915), Field Artillery. She survived her husband, dying in 1909.