Lord Charles FitzRoy (British Army officer)

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General Lord Charles FitzRoy (17 July 176420 December 1829) was a British Army officer and politician.

FitzRoy was the second son of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton and his first wife, Anne, a daughter of Henry Liddell, 1st Baron Ravensworth. After education at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, he entered the army in 1782 as an ensign. In 1787, he was appointed a captain in the Scots Guards and an equerry in 1788, to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, under whom he served in Flanders from 1793-4.

In 1795, FitzRoy was appointed an aide-de-camp to King George III with the rank of colonel and promoted to major-general in 1798. From 1798-99, he served in Ireland then in England until 1809, commanding a battalion of the 60th Regiment of Foot from 1804-5. He was appointed colonel of the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot and lieutenant-general in 1805 and general in 1814.

From 1787-96 and again from 1802-18, FitzRoy was Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds (though never actually spoke in the house). He supported Pitt and favoured abolitionism and Catholic Emancipation.

FitzRoy died at his house in Berkeley Square, London in 1829 and was buried at Wicken, Northamptonshire.

[edit] Family

On 20 June 1795, FitzRoy married Frances Mundy (d. 1797; the daughter of Edward Miller Mundy, MP) and they had one son, Charles Augustus. After his wife's death, he married Lady Frances Stewart (d. 1810; the eldest daughter of Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry) and they had three children:

  • George FitzRoy (c.1800-1882), British Army officer.
  • Robert (1805-1865), hydrographer.
  • Frances (d. 1878), married George Rice, 4th Baron Dynevot.

[edit] Source

Military offices
Preceded by
Patrick Tonyn
Colonel of the 48th (Northamptonshire)
Regiment of Foot

1805–1829
Succeeded by
Sir Thomas Hislop, Bt.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sir Charles Davers, Bt.
and Charles FitzRoy
Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds
with Sir Charles Davers, Bt.

1796–1796
Succeeded by
Sir Charles Davers, Bt.
and Lord Hervey
Preceded by
Sir Charles Davers, Bt.
and Lord Hervey
Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds
with Lord Hervey 1802-03,
The Lord Templetown 1803-12,
Frederick Foster 1812-18

1802–1818
Succeeded by
Earl of Euston
and Arthur Upton