George Anson (1769-1849)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir George Anson, GCB
, KTS
(1769 – 4 November 1849), commanded a British
cavalry brigade under the Duke of Wellington
during the Peninsular War
and sat for many years as a Member of Parliament.
(previously Adams) and his wife The Hon.
Mary Vernon, daughter of the first Lord Vernon
. He had an elder brother Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
and a younger brother Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet
; another younger brother was Frederick, who became Dean
of Chester
.
He was the uncle of Thomas's sons: Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield
and George Anson (who later became the Commander-in-Chief, India
. He was also uncle of Frederick's son: George Edward Anson
, Keeper of the Privy Purse
, who died a few days before him in 1849. Also, Admiral George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
was his great-uncle. (See Earl of Lichfield
for more information on the Anson family).
in 1786 and served under the Duke of York
and Sir Ralph Abercromby
in Holland. It was to be in the Peninsular War
where his reputation grew markedly. He served in all the campaigns between 1809 and 1813 and gained distinction in his command of the 16th Light Dragoons at the Second Battle of Porto. His reputation was further enhanced by his command of a brigade of light cavalry
at the Battles of Talavera, Busaco, Salamanca
and Vittoria. He also fought in the Battle of Venta del Pozo
during the retreat from Burgos
. For his services in the Battles of Talavera, Salamanca
and Vittoria
he received a medal and two clasps. So prominent was he during these campaigns that the House of Commons
thanked him in November 1816 for his services generally during the Peninsular Wars. In February 1827 he was appointed to the colonelcy of the 4th Dragoon Guards
and rose to the rank of General
.
for Lichfield
from 1806 to 1841. He was also the Groom of the Bedchamber to Prince Albert
from 1836 to September 1841. In 1846 he was appointed the lieutenant-governor of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea and became governor in May 1849.
. They had six sons and five daughters. Their son Talavera Vernon Anson became an Admiral in the Royal Navy
. Another son Thomas Anson
was a first class cricketer. Lady Anson died in 1834. Anson survived her by fifteen years and died at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea in November 1849. In Who Do You Think You Are? transmitted on the BBC on 18 October 2007, it was discovered that Sir Matthew Pinsent, the multiple gold medal Olympic rower, is a direct descendant of Sir George Anson.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir George Anson, GCB
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...
, KTS
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
(1769 – 4 November 1849), commanded a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
cavalry brigade under the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
and sat for many years as a Member of Parliament.
Early life
Anson was the second son of George AnsonGeorge Anson (1731-1789)
George Anson , known as George Adams until 1773, was a British Whig politician and Staffordshire landowner....
(previously Adams) and his wife The Hon.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Mary Vernon, daughter of the first Lord Vernon
George Venables-Vernon, 1st Baron Vernon
George Venables-Vernon, 1st Baron Vernon was a British politician.Vernon was the son of Henry Vernon, of Sudbury, Derbyshire, and his wife Anne, daughter and heiress of Thomas Pigott by his wife Mary, sister and heiress of Sir Peter Venables, Baron of Kinderton, Cheshire...
. He had an elder brother Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson was a British politician and peer.Anson was the son of George Adams, who later changed the family name to Anson in 1773, after inheriting Shugborough Hall from his maternal uncle, Lord Anson...
and a younger brother Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet
General Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet KCB was a general in the British Army noted for his service in Peninsular WarThe Anson Baronetcy was created for him on 30 September 1831....
; another younger brother was Frederick, who became Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
.
He was the uncle of Thomas's sons: Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield PC , known as The Viscount Anson from 1818 to 1831, was a British Whig politician. He served under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne as Master of the Buckhounds between 1830 and 1834 and under Melbourne Postmaster General between 1835 and 1841...
and George Anson (who later became the Commander-in-Chief, India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
. He was also uncle of Frederick's son: George Edward Anson
George Edward Anson
George Edward Anson was a courtier and British politician. He served as Keeper of Her Majesty's Privy Purse, Treasurer of the Household to HRH Prince Albert, Treasurer and Cofferer of the Household of HRH the Prince of Wales, a member of the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster and of the Prince of...
, Keeper of the Privy Purse
Keeper of the Privy Purse
The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King/Queen is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom....
, who died a few days before him in 1849. Also, Admiral George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
was his great-uncle. (See Earl of Lichfield
Earl of Lichfield
Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times in British history. Lord Bernard Stewart, youngest son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, was to be created Earl of Lichfield by Charles I for his actions at the battles of Newbury and Naseby but died before the creation could...
for more information on the Anson family).
The Peninsular Wars and gaining of reputation
He entered the British ArmyBritish 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...
in 1786 and served under the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
and Sir Ralph Abercromby
Ralph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
in Holland. It was to be in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
where his reputation grew markedly. He served in all the campaigns between 1809 and 1813 and gained distinction in his command of the 16th Light Dragoons at the Second Battle of Porto. His reputation was further enhanced by his command of a brigade of 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...
at the Battles of Talavera, Busaco, Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
and Vittoria. He also fought in the Battle of Venta del Pozo
Battle of Venta del Pozo
In the Battle of Venta del Pozo on October 23, 1812, an Anglo-German force led by Major-General Stapleton Cotton fought a rear-guard action against French cavalry under Major-Generals Jean-Baptiste Curto and Pierre Boyer.-Background:...
during the retreat from Burgos
Siege of Burgos
At the Siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General of Brigade Jean-Louis Dubreton. The French repulsed every...
. For his services in the Battles of Talavera, Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
and Vittoria
Battle of Vitoria
At the Battle of Vitoria an allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under General the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War.-Background:In July 1812, after...
he received a medal and two clasps. So prominent was he during these campaigns that the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
thanked him in November 1816 for his services generally during the Peninsular Wars. In February 1827 he was appointed to the colonelcy of the 4th Dragoon Guards
Dragoon guards
Dragoon Guards was the designation used to refer to certain heavy cavalry regiments in the British Army from the 18th century onwards. While the Prussian and Russian armies of the same period included dragoon regiments amongst their respective Imperial Guards, different titles were applied to these...
and rose to the rank of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
Outside of conflict
Aside from his military career he also sat as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Lichfield
Lichfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Lichfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
from 1806 to 1841. He was also the Groom of the Bedchamber to Prince Albert
Prince Albert
Prince Albert was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria.Prince Albert may also refer to:-Royalty:*Prince Albert Edward or Edward VII of the United Kingdom , son of Albert and Victoria...
from 1836 to September 1841. In 1846 he was appointed the lieutenant-governor of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea and became governor in May 1849.
Marriage and descendants
Anson married Frances, daughter of John William Hamilton, in 1800. She was also the sister of Sir Frederick HamiltonFrederick Hamilton
Sir Frederick Hamilton was the youngest son of Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley. He was given lands in Leitrim, in the northwest of Ireland in 1622....
. They had six sons and five daughters. Their son Talavera Vernon Anson became an Admiral in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Another son Thomas Anson
Thomas Anson (cricketer)
Thomas Anchitel Anson was an English clergyman and cricketer who played first class cricket for Cambridge University from 1839 to 1842 and for Marylebone Cricket Club from 1839 to 1845....
was a first class cricketer. Lady Anson died in 1834. Anson survived her by fifteen years and died at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea in November 1849. In Who Do You Think You Are? transmitted on the BBC on 18 October 2007, it was discovered that Sir Matthew Pinsent, the multiple gold medal Olympic rower, is a direct descendant of Sir George Anson.