General Charles George James Arbuthnot, DL (180121 October 1870) was a British

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Early life

Arbuthnot was born at sea aboard the frigate ''

Juno Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods *Juno (film), ''Juno'' (film), 2007 Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, in the film ''Jenny, Juno'' *Ju ...

'' and raised at

Woodford, Northamptonshire Woodford is a large village and civil parish located in North Northamptonshire, England. At the time of the 2011 census, the parish's population (including Woodwell) was 1,461 people. The village's name means 'wooded ford', referring to wood ...

. His father,

Charles Arbuthnot Charles Arbuthnot (14 March 1767 – 18 August 1850) was a British diplomat and Tory politician. He was Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire between 1804 and 1807 and held a number of political offices. He was a good friend of the Duke of Welling ...

, was a prominent

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

politician, diplomat and confidant of the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

. He was made a

Page of Honour A Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page. The onl ...

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

in 1812 (at the age of eleven or twelve).

Military career

Arbuthnot was made an Ensign in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

in 1816, was promoted to Captain of the 28th Regiment in 1820, and was made

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the 72nd Regiment in 1825. He was returned to Parliament from the

rotten borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...

Tregony Tregony ( kw, Trerigoni), sometimes in the past Tregoney, is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Tregony with Cuby, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies on the River Fal. In the village there is a post office (now ...

in 1831, but resigned the seat in the following year by becoming Steward of the Manor of East Hundred. On 19 May 1831, he left the 72nd and became lieutenant-colonel of the 90th Regiment, replacing

Lord George Russell Major-General Lord George William Russell (8 May 1790 – 16 July 1846) was a British soldier, politician and diplomat. He was the second son of the John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, 6th Duke of Bedford and brother to John Russell, 1st Earl R ...

. In 1833, Arbuthnot married Hon. Charlotte Eliza Vivian, eldest daughter of

Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian Lieutenant General Richard Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian (28 July 177520 August 1842), known as Sir Hussey Vivian from 1815 to 1828 and Sir Hussey Vivian, Bt, from 1828 to 1841, was a British cavalry leader from the Vivian family. Early caree ...

. Their only child, Charlotte Letitia Caroline Arbuthnot (d. 1884), married

Herbert Harley Murray Sir Herbert Harley Murray KCB (4 November 1829 – 11 March 1904) was a Scottish colonial governor. A member of Clan Murray headed by the Duke of Atholl, he was born in Bromley, the son of the Right Reverend George Murray, Bishop of Roch ...

. Returning to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 72nd Regiment on 23 February 1838, Arbuthnot was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

colonel on 28 June 1838. When Sir

Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...

became Prime Minister,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

asked Charles to become her Equerry in Ordinary (a senior aide). He replaced

Lord Alfred Paget Lord Alfred Henry Paget (26 June 1816 – 24 August 1888) was a British soldier, courtier and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1837 and 1865. Early life Paget was the sixth son of William Paget, the 1st Marquess of A ...

in the post on 10 September 1841. Two months later Peel offered to help him get into Parliament but after discussion with his father he decided he would be more useful at court. In 1842, the 72nd was called out to help suppress the "Plug-Drawing Riots" in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

. While supporting the local constabulary in

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...

, Arbuthnot and his troops were ordered by the local magistrate to fire on a stone-throwing crowd to disperse it. Several rioters were injured, but none fatally. On 14 April 1843, he gave up the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 72nd to

Lord Arthur Lennox Lord Arthur Lennox (2 October 1806 – 15 January 1864) was a British politician. He was the youngest son of the 4th Duke of Richmond and the uncle of Lord Henry Lennox. Lennox was commissioned into the 71st Foot. He was promoted lieutenant ...

. On 1 August 1846, Arbuthnot resigned as equerry, to be replaced by Charles Beaumont Phipps. He was promoted

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in 1851, appointed to the colonelcy of the 89th Regiment on 9 July 1857, and promoted

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

in 1858. Arbuthnot was appointed a deputy lieutenant of

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

, on 21 January 1861, and became colonel of the 91st Regiment on 4 July 1864. Promoted

on 25 November 1865, he was appointed to command the 72nd Regiment on 27 August 1870, he died shortly thereafter, on 21 October 1870.

References

* * *''The London Gazette''
History of Parliament

External links

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Arbuthnot, Charles George James 1801 births 1870 deaths

Charles George James Arbuthnot General Charles George James Arbuthnot, DL (180121 October 1870) was a British general. Early life Arbuthnot was born at sea aboard the frigate '' Juno'' and raised at Woodford, Northamptonshire. His father, Charles Arbuthnot, was a prominent ...

British Army generals Equerries Pages of Honour Grenadier Guards officers 28th Regiment of Foot officers Deputy Lieutenants of Northamptonshire Tory MPs (pre-1834) Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Tregony UK MPs 1831–1832 People born at sea Military personnel from Northamptonshire