Lieutenant-General Richard Onslow ( – 16 March 1760) was 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 ...
officer and politician. After the death of their parents, his older brother
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
bought him a captain's commission in the British Army. He first saw action in the
Anglo-Spanish War in 1727, after which he was returned to Parliament for the family borough of
Guildford. His political contributions were negligible in comparison to his brother, and he continued to serve as a career officer, holding commands in the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...
at
Dettingen and
Fontenoy. In 1759, he was appointed
Governor of Plymouth
The Governor of Plymouth was the military Captain or Governor of the Fortress of Plymouth. The Governorship was abolished in 1842. The Lieutenant Governorship was vested in the General Officer Commanding Western District from 1793 to 1903, an ...
and commander of the Western District, and died as a lieutenant-general the following year while presiding over two prominent courts-martial.
Early life
He was the second son of
Foot Onslow, Member of Parliament for
Guildford. His older brother was
Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow (1 October 169117 February 1768) was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity.
Early life and educat ...
, Speaker of the House of Commons from 1728 to 1761, and after the death of his father in 1710 and his mother in 1715,
he and his four sisters were left in Arthur's care. As Richard had not been educated for the law or the church, Arthur thought, against the opinion of their friends, that Richard's courage and bodily stature suited him for the army. Accordingly, Arthur raised the money to allow Richard to
purchase a commission as a captain in the
11th Regiment of Foot on 14 July 1716, a rank that allowed him to maintain his social standing among the rest of the family. Writing late in life, Arthur noted that Richard had "risen to be very high in the army...and with unblemished character in it", validating his choice.
When Arthur entered Parliament for the family borough of Guildford in 1720, he gave up to Richard the post of receiver general of the Post Office, which was not compatible with a Parliamentary seat and paid almost £400 per year. Richard exchanged into the
30th Regiment of Foot
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
in 1719 and the
15th Regiment of Foot
15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16.
Mathematics
15 is:
* A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and .
* A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious nu ...
in 1721. During the
1722 election at
Haslemere, where the Onslows had an interest, Richard became involved in a brawl with
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to r ...
.
Oglethorpe and his fellow Tory candidate
Peter Burrell came upon Onslow and his companion, a Mr. Sharp. Burrell complained of Sharp's insulting electioneering practices, and Oglethorpe struck Sharp with his cane; when Onslow attempted to interpose, Oglethorpe drew on him. Onslow was injured in the thigh, but disarmed Oglethorpe; he was wounded again in the left hand when Oglethorpe attempted to recover his sword, but by now his temper had cooled, and he helped bind Onslow's wounds and summoned a surgeon for him. Onslow was promoted to
captain lieutenant
Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of navies worldwide and formerly in the British Army.
Northern Europe Denmark, Norway and Finland
The same rank is used in the navies of Denmark (), Norway () and Finl ...
(and lieutenant-colonel in the Army) in the
1st Regiment of Foot Guards
"Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it."
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = Slow: " Scipio"
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment ...
on 7 July 1724.
On 9 December 1726, he married his brother's sister-in-law, Rose Bridges, daughter and coheiress of John Bridges of
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross ...
. She died in 1728 without children, and in 1730, he married again to Pooley Walton, daughter of Charles Walton and heiress of her uncle
George Walton.
They had four children:
*
George Onslow George Onslow may refer to:
*George Onslow (British Army officer) (1731–1792), British politician and army officer
*George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow (1731–1814), British peer and politician
*George Onslow (composer)
André George(s) Louis ...
(1731–1792)
*
Sir Richard Onslow, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Onslow, 1st Baronet, GCB (23 June 1741 – 27 December 1817) was an English naval officer who played a distinguished role at the Battle of Camperdown.
Naval career
He was the younger son of Lt-Gen. Richard Onslow and his wife Pool ...
(1741–1817)
*
Rev. Arthur Onslow (1746–1815)
*Elizabeth Onslow (d. 1800 or 1802), married
Rev. Hon. George Hamilton and had issue.
Active service and politics
On 9 March 1727, Onslow succeeded Richard Hele Treby as captain of one of the Guards companies sent to reinforce
besieged Gibraltar. The Spanish lifted the siege in June, and Onslow then stood for Guildford on his family's interest, replacing
Thomas Brodrick. Onslow was elected alongside his brother (who, however, chose to sit for
Surrey) in
August 1727. His receiver-generalship went to his second cousin
Denzil Onslow of Stoughton. Richard continued to represent the borough until his death. A steady supporter of Government,
he made no particular figure in Parliamentary affairs.
Onslow was commissioned colonel of the
39th Regiment of Foot in 1731. In 1734, he became accountant to his brother after the latter was appointed
Treasurer of the Navy
The Treasurer of the Navy, originally called Treasurer of Marine Causes or Paymaster of the Navy, was a civilian officer of the Royal Navy, one of the principal commissioners of the Navy Board responsible for naval finance from 1524 to 1832. ...
, holding the post until Arthur resigned the office in 1742. Richard transferred to become Colonel of the
8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1739 (until 1745).
He appointed Rev.
Arthur Young, chaplain to his regiment. Young's son claimed that Onslow himself was not particularly religious, in part to escape the censure of his commander, the
Duke of Cumberland
Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British Royal Family, named after the historic county of Cumberland.
History
The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom ...
.
On 20 February 1741, he was promoted to
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
, and sent to Germany with the British contingent in the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...
. He fought at the
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen (german: Schlacht bei Dettingen) took place on 27 June 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession at Dettingen in the Electorate of Mainz, Holy Roman Empire (now Karlstein am Main in Bavaria). It was fought between a ...
on 27 June 1743, and was afterwards promoted to
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 ...
on 13 July. On 30 April 1745, Onslow succeeded
Viscount Cobham
Viscount Cobham is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1718. Owing to its special remainder, the title has passed through several families. Since 1889, it has been held by members of the Lyttelton family.
The barony ...
as colonel and captain of the
1st Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards
The Horse Grenadier Guards, usually referred to ''Horse Grenadiers'' were a series of cavalry troops in the British Household Cavalry between 1687 and 1788, who used grenades and other explosives in battle. Originally attached to the Troops of H ...
, while
Edward Wolfe
Lieutenant General Edward Wolfe (1685 – 26 March 1759) was a British army officer who saw action in the War of the Spanish Succession, 1715 Jacobite rebellion and the War of Jenkins' Ear. He is best known as the father of James Wolfe, famous for ...
took over the King's Regiment. He and
Henry Hawley
Henry Hawley (12 January 1685 – 24 March 1759) was a British army officer who served in the wars of the first half of the 18th century. He fought in a number of significant battles, including the Capture of Vigo in 1719, Dettingen, Fo ...
commanded the second line of cavalry at the
Battle of Fontenoy. He was one of the generals present in London in November after the British Army in Flanders was recalled to suppress the
Jacobite rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...
.
Onslow's last promotion, to
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 ...
, occurred on 10 October 1747. On 15 February 1752, he was appointed
Governor of Fort William, and in 1759, was removed to become
Governor of Plymouth
The Governor of Plymouth was the military Captain or Governor of the Fortress of Plymouth. The Governorship was abolished in 1842. The Lieutenant Governorship was vested in the General Officer Commanding Western District from 1793 to 1903, an ...
and military commander of the Western District. In early 1760, he was called upon to preside over the court-martial of
Lord George Sackville
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, PC (26 January 1716 – 26 August 1785), styled The Honourable George Sackville until 1720, Lord George Sackville from 1720 to 1770 and Lord George Germain from 1770 to 1782, was a British soldier and p ...
for his conduct at the
Battle of Minden
The Battle of Minden was a major engagement during the Seven Years' War, fought on 1 August 1759. An Anglo-German army under the overall command of Prussian Field Marshal Ferdinand of Brunswick defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of Fr ...
, and concurrently of
Lord Charles Hay
Lord Charles Hay (c. 1700 – 1 May 1760) was a soldier of the British Army who saw service in the Anglo-Spanish War, the Wars of the Polish and Austrian Successions, and the Seven Years' War. He combined this with a political career, sitting ...
for remarks made against
Lord Loudoun, but died of a stroke on 16 March 1760 while presiding over the latter trial.
In addition to his military career, he was a member of the original general court of the Society for Free British Fishery, founded in 1750.
References
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Bibliography
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External links
Portrait at Clandon Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onslow, Richard
1690s births
Year of birth uncertain
1760 deaths
30th Regiment of Foot officers
British Army generals
British Life Guards officers
Devonshire Regiment officers
Dorset Regiment officers
East Yorkshire Regiment officers
Grenadier Guards officers
King's Regiment (Liverpool) officers
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
British MPs 1727–1734
British MPs 1734–1741
British MPs 1741–1747
British MPs 1747–1754
British MPs 1754–1761
British Army personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
People educated at Royal Grammar School, Guildford
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...
British military personnel of the Anglo-Spanish War (1727–1729)