General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox, 4th Duke of Aubigny, (9 December 176428 August 1819) was a Scottish peer, soldier, politician, and Governor-general of

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestow ...

Background

Richmond was born to General Lord George Lennox, the younger son of

Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, 2nd Duke of Lennox, 2nd Duke of Aubigny, (18 May 17018 August 1750) of Goodwood House near Chichester in Sussex, was a British nobleman and politician. He was the son of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmo ...

, and Lady Louisa, daughter of

William Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian General William Henry Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian (1710 – 12 April 1775) was a Scottish nobleman, British soldier and politician, the eldest son of William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian. He was styled Master of Jedburgh until 1722, Lord Jedbu ...

. His aunts included the famous five

Lennox sisters The Lennox sisters were four eighteenth-century British aristocrats, the daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond (1701–1750) by his wife Lady Sarah Cadogan (1705–1751). The four sisters were: * Caroline Fox, 1st Baroness Holland (17 ...

Cricket

Richmond was a keen

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

er. He was an accomplished right-hand

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

and a noted

wicket-keeper The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. ...

. An amateur, he was a founder member of the

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

. In 1786, together with the

Earl of Winchilsea Earl of Winchilsea is a title in the Peerage of England held by the Finch-Hatton family. It has been united with the title of Earl of Nottingham under a single holder since 1729. The Finch family is believed to be descended from Henry FitzHerb ...

, Richmond offered

Thomas Lord Thomas Lord (23 November 1755 – 13 January 1832) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1787 to 1802. He made a brief comeback, playing in one further match in 1815. Overall, Lord made 90 known appearances ...

a guarantee against any losses Lord might suffer on starting a new

ground. This led to Lord opening his first cricket ground in 1787. Although Lord's Cricket Ground has since moved twice, Richmond and Winchilsea's guarantee provided the genesis of the best-known cricket ground in the world, a ground known as the Home of Cricket. Nearly always listed as the Hon. Colonel Charles Lennox in contemporary scorecards, Richmond had 55 recorded first-class appearances from 1784 to 1800 and played a few more games after that.

Army general

Richmond became a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

captain at the age of 23 in 1787. On 27 May 1789, while a colonel in the Duke of York's regiment, he was involved in a duel with Frederick, Duke of York, who had expressed the opinion that "Colonel Lennox had heard words spoken to him at Daughbigny's, to which no gentleman ought to have submitted", effectively an accusation of failing to respond to an insult in the way that a gentleman should. At

Wimbledon Common Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon, southwest London. There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common, which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons totalling 4 ...

, Richmond fired, but his ball "grazed his Royal Highness's curl"; the Duke did not fire. Richmond shortly after exchanged his company for the commission of a lieutenant-colonel in the

35th Regiment of Foot The 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1701. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 107th (Bengal Infantry) Regiment of Foot to form the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1881. Histor ...

. On 1 July of the same year, he was involved in another duel, with Theophilus Swift, Esq., in consequence of a pamphlet criticising Richmond's character published under Swift's name. They met in a field near Uxbridge Road, where Swift was wounded in the body, but recovered. Later in the year, he married Lady Charlotte Gordon. In 1794 and 1795 he participated in naval engagements against the French in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

and

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, but was sent home when he came into conflict with his superiors. He was also MP for Sussex, succeeding his father, from 1790 until he succeeded to the dukedom.

Duke

He became the 4th Duke of Richmond on 29 December 1806, after the death of his uncle,

Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 3rd Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Aubigny, (22 February 1735 – 29 December 1806), styled Earl of March until 1750, of Goodwood House in Sussex and of Richmond House in London, was a British ...

. In April 1807 he became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He remained in that post until 1813. He participated in the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

and in 1815 he was in command of a reserve force in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, which was protecting that city in case

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

won the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

. On 15 June, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras, his wife held a ball for his fellow officers. The glittering celebration became famous as the

Duchess of Richmond's ball The Duchess of Richmond's ball was a ball hosted by Charlotte, Duchess of Richmond in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras. Charlotte's husband Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, was in command of a reserve ...

and was immortalised by

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...

in '' Vanity Fair'' and by

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

in '' Childe Harold's Pilgrimage''. Although the Duke observed the Battle of Quatre Bras the next day, as well as Waterloo on 18 June, he did not participate in either, his role being in the defence of the city of Brussels.

Governor General of Canada

In 1818 he was appointed Governor-general of

. During the summer of 1819, Richmond was undertaking a tour of Upper and Lower Canada, when he was bitten on the hand by a fox. The injury apparently healed and he continued on the tour, but later in his journey the initial symptoms of hydrophobia appeared, a clear sign of

Rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...

. After the disease had developed rapidly, he died on 28 August. Richmond's body was returned to Quebec, where he was buried at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on 4 September. The night before his death, he slept at the "Masonic Arms", which was renamed the "Duke of Richmond Arms" to commemorate the visit. Richmond's title was inherited by his son,

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond, (3 August 179121 October 1860), of Goodwood House near Chichester in West Sussex, was a British peer, soldier and prominent Conservative politician. Origins He was born "Charles Lennox", the son and ...

Legacy

Richmond County, Nova Scotia Richmond County is an historical county and census division of Nova Scotia, Canada. Local government is provided by the Municipality of the County of Richmond. History Named in honour of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, who was Governor G ...

Richmond, Ontario Richmond is a suburban community, part of the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1818, it spans the Jock River, a tributary of the Rideau River. A part of the National Capital Region, Richmond is located 10kms southwest ...

March Township, Ontario March Township is a geographic township and former municipality originally part of Carleton County in eastern Ontario, Canada. It is currently part of the City of Ottawa. It is located in the western part of the county, bordered to the northwest ...

Huntley Township, Ontario Huntley is a former incorporated and now geographic township in Carleton County in eastern Ontario, Canada. Huntley was located in the western part of the county, bordered to the northwest by Fitzroy Township, to the northeast by March Township, ...

* Torbolton Township, Ontario * Fitzroy Township, Ontario * Earl of March Secondary School *

Lennoxville, Quebec Lennoxville is an ''arrondissement'', or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometres south of downtown Sherbrooke. Lennoxvi ...

* Richmond, Quebec *

* Richmond Street in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

* Richmond Street in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, According to tradition, the town of Richmond Village, Ontario, was also named after him, as he was said to have passed through the then village during his visit in 1819. 4th Duke of Richmond, Cairn

Richmond Park Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of London's Royal Parks, and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park ...

in Inchicore, Dublin, still bears his name. Now the home ground of St. Patrick's Athletic Football Club, it was once a part of Richmond Barracks as Richmond was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1807–1813). It was to these barracks that over 3,000 prisoners were brought after the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. After independence, the barracks were renamed Keogh Barracks and later redeveloped as housing for the capital's poor and again renamed Keogh Square.

Children

Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, engraving after John Kay, 1789

Richmond had fourteen children: * Lady Mary Lennox (15 August 17907 December 1847), married Sir Charles Fitzroy and had issue. *

(3 August 179121 October 1860), married Lady Caroline Paget and had issue. * Lt.-Col. Lord John George Lennox (3 October 179310 November 1873), married Louisa Rodney and had issue. * Lady Sarah Lennox (c. 17948 September 1873), scandalised her family by eloping after Waterloo with Waterloo hero, General Peregrine Maitland, 17 years her senior. The courtship had gone unnoticed by her family. The

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...

arranged for the couple to be married in Paris and fostered the family's ultimate acceptance of the marriage. * Lady Georgiana Lennox (30 September 179515 December 1891), was a close friend of the

, despite being 26 years younger than the Duke who referred to her as "dearest Georgy" in their many years of written correspondence. There are hints that the relationship may have been sexual, including his gift of a miniature to her on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, and a pause in their written correspondence for ten years after Waterloo. She was also fond of Colonel Frederick Ponsonby whose recovery after Waterloo she fretted over.Alice Marie Crossland (2016) Wellington's Dearest Georgy (Universe Press) p.88 After she married William FitzGerald-de Ros, 22nd Baron de Ros, with whom she had issue, she resumed corresponding with Wellington until his death 27 years later. * Lord Henry Adam Lennox (6 September 17971812), fell overboard from HMS ''Blake'' and drowned. * Lord William Lennox (20 September 179918 February 1881), married first Mary Ann Paton and second Ellen Smith; had issue by the latter. * Lady Jane Lennox (c. 180027 March 1861), married Laurence Peel and had issue. * Captain Lord Frederick Lennox (24 January 180125 October 1829). *

Lord Sussex Lennox Lord Sussex Lennox (11 June 1802 – 12 April 1874) was an English cricketer. He was associated with Marylebone Cricket Club and was recorded in one first-class match in 1826, totalling 5 runs with a highest score of 3 and holding no catches. ...

(11 June 180212 April 1874), married Hon. Mary Lawless and had issue. * Lady Louisa Maddelena Lennox (2 October 18032 March 1900), married Rt. Hon. William Tighe, died without issue. * Lady Charlotte Lennox (c. 180420 August 1833), married Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge of Bristol, and had issue. * Lt.-Col. Lord Arthur Lennox (2 October 180615 January 1864), married Adelaide Campbell and had issue. * Lady Sophia Georgiana Lennox (21 July 180917 January 1902), married

Lord Thomas Cecil Lord Thomas Cecil (1797–1873) was a British peer and member of Parliament for Stamford from 1818 to 1832. Cecil was the youngest of the three sons of Henry Cecil, 1st Marquess of Exeter, by his second wife Sarah.Mosley, Charles, editor. Burk ...

, died without issue.

References

Notes

Bibliography

Harry Altham Harry Surtees Altham (30 November 1888 – 11 March 1965) was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His ''Wisden'' obituary described him as "among the best known personalities ...

, ''A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914)'', George Allen & Unwin, 1962. *

Derek Birley Sir Derek Birley (31 May 1926 – 14 May 2002) was a distinguished English educationalist and a prize-winning writer on the social history of sport, particularly cricket. Life and career Born in a mining community in West Yorkshire, Birley attend ...

, ''A Social History of English Cricket'', Aurum, 1999. *

Rowland Bowen Major Rowland Francis Bowen (27 February 1916 – 4 September 1978) was a British Army officer and a cricket researcher, historian and writer. Educated at Westminster School, Bowen received an emergency commission in April 1942 into the In ...

, ''Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development'', Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970. * G. B. Buckley, ''Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket'', Cotterell, 1935. *

Arthur Haygarth Arthur Haygarth (4 August 1825 – 1 May 1903) was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians. He played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club and Sussex between 1844 and 1861, as well as num ...

, ''Scores & Biographies'', Volume 1 (1744–1826), Lillywhite, 1862. * J. G. Millingen, ''The History of Duelling'', Volume 2, London: Richard Bentley, 1841. *

John Nyren John Nyren (15 December 1764 – 30 June 1837) was an English cricketer and author. Nyren made 16 known appearances in first-class cricket from 1787 to 1817. He achieved lasting fame as the author of '' The Cricketers of My Time'', which was fir ...

, ''The Cricketers of my Time'' (ed.

Ashley Mote Ashley Mote (25 January 1936 – 30 March 2020) was a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 2004 to 2009. Elected representing the UK Independence Party, he became a non-inscrit one month into his term after ...

), Robson, 1998. *

David Underdown David Edward Underdown (19 August 1925 – 26 September 2009) was a historian of 17th-century England, English politics and culture and Professor Emeritus at Yale University. Born at Wells, Somerset, Underdown was educated at The Blue School, Well ...

, ''Start of Play'', Allen Lane, 2000. * H. T. Waghorn, ''The Dawn of Cricket'', Electric Press, 1906. * Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, ''Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus'', Penguin Group, 2012 *

Eric Arthur Eric Ross Arthur, (1 July 1898 – 1 November 1982) was a Canadian architect, writer and educator. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand and educated in England, he served in World War I with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He emigrated to Canada in ...

, ''

Toronto, No Mean City ''Toronto, No Mean City'' is a 1964 book by Canadian architect Eric Arthur covering the architectural history of Toronto. The book advocates for conservation of the city's architecture and helped to expand the city's heritage movement. Backg ...

'' (Third Edition, rev. and ed. Stephen A. Otto), University of Toronto Press, 1986. *''Lord's 1787–1945'' by

Sir Pelham Warner Sir Pelham Francis Warner, (2 October 1873 – 30 January 1963), affectionately and better known as Plum Warner or "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket, was a Test cricketer and cricket administrator. He was knighted for services to sport in ...

. * Woods, Shirley E. Jr. ''Ottawa: The Capital of Canada,'' Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1980. .

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''Cricinfo page on Charles LennoxJourney To Nationhood, 150 Years in Canada's Capital
*Archives of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lenno
(Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and family collection, R2338)
are held at Library and Archives Canada {{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond, Charles Lennox, 4th Duke Of 1764 births 1819 deaths Deaths from rabies British Army generals British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars British duellists

304 Year 304 ( CCCIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, less frequently, year 1057 '' A ...

204 Charles English cricketers English cricketers of 1701 to 1786 English cricketers of 1787 to 1825 Governors of British North America Knights of the Garter Lord-Lieutenants of Sussex Lords Lieutenant of Ireland Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies 35th Regiment of Foot officers Surrey cricketers Lennox, Charles Lennox, Charles Richmond, D4 Infectious disease deaths in Ontario Neurological disease deaths in Ontario Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Scottish cricketers Hampshire cricketers English amateur cricketers White Conduit Club cricketers Surrey and Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Gentlemen of England cricketers Burials at Chichester Cathedral Cricket patrons People from Moray