General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

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

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

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 Jamestown, ...

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 Richm ...

, and Lady Louisa, daughter of William Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian. His aunts included the famous four

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 Lennox, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, Sarah Cadogan (1705–1751). The four sisters ...

Cricket

Richmond was a keen

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

er. He was an accomplished right-hand

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). 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 birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

and a noted

wicket-keeper In cricket, the wicket-keeper is the Cricket player, player on the fielding (cricket), fielding side who stands behind the wicket, ready to stop Delivery (cricket), deliveries that pass the batsman, and take a Caught, catch, Stumped, stump the ...

. An

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

, he was a founder member of the

Marylebone Cricket Club The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's, Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London, England. The club was the governing body of cricket from 1788 to 1989 and retain ...

. In 1786, together with the

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

, 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 Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...

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 Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

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 A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

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, London, 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 Co ...

, His Highness was attended by Lord Rawdon, Richmond by the

. 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. 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 an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

and

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

, but was sent home when he came into conflict with his superiors. He was also MP for

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, 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 (United Kingdom), 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 ...

. In April 1807 he became

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...

. He remained in that post until 1813. He participated in the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

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

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

, which was protecting that city in case

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

won the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

. On 15 June, the night before the

Battle of Quatre Bras The Battle of Quatre Bras was fought on 16 June 1815, as a preliminary engagement to the decisive Battle of Waterloo that occurred two days later. The battle took place near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras and was contested between el ...

, his wife held a ball for his fellow officers. The glittering celebration became famous as the Duchess of Richmond's ball and was immortalised by

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his Satire, satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel ''Vanity Fair (novel), Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portra ...

in '' Vanity Fair'' and by

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

in ''

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage ''Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: A Romaunt'' is a long narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. The poem was published between 1812 and 1818. Dedicated to " Ianthe", it describes the travels and reflections of a young man disillusioned ...

''. 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

. During the summer of 1819, Richmond was undertaking a tour of Upper and Lower Canada on an inspection of a planned route for the

Rideau Canal The Rideau Canal is a 202-kilometre long canal that links the Ottawa River at Ottawa with the Cataraqui River and Lake Ontario at Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Its 46 Lock (water navigation), locks raise boats from the Ottawa River 83 metres (272 ...

, 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. It was historically referred to as hydrophobia ("fear of water") because its victims panic when offered liquids to drink. Early symptoms can include fever and abn ...

. 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, (''né'' Lennox; 3 August 179121 October 1860), styled the Earl of March from 1806–19, was a Scottish peer, soldier and prominent Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician. Upon the death of ...

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 ...

Richmond, Ontario Richmond is a rural village within the amalgamated City 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 southwest of Kanata an ...

* March Township, Ontario * Huntley Township, Ontario * 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. Lenn ...

* Richmond, Quebec * Richmond Street in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

* Richmond Street in

London, Ontario London 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 (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

*Lennox Street, Dublin According to tradition, the town of

Richmond Hill, Ontario Richmond Hill ( 2021 population: 202,022) is a city in south-central York Region, Ontario, Canada. Part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is the York Region's third most populous municipality and the 27th most populous municipality in Canada. Ric ...

, was also named after him, as he was said to have passed through the then village during his visit in 1819.

Richmond Park Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of Royal Parks of London, London's Royal Parks and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I of England, Cha ...

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

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.pp. 96,99 The

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

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. 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 (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, 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 personalitie ...

, ''A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914)'', George Allen & Unwin, 1962. * Derek Birley, ''A Social History of English Cricket'', Aurum, 1999. * Rowland Bowen, ''Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development'', Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970. * G. B. Buckley, ''Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket'', Cotterell, 1935. * Arthur Haygarth, ''Scores & Biographies'', Volume 1 (1744–1826), Lillywhite, 1862. *

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 firs ...

, ''The Cricketers of my Time'' (ed. Ashley Mote), Robson, 1998. * David Underdown, ''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, '' Toronto, No Mean City'' (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 ...

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

External links

Cricket Archive page on Charles LennoxCricinfo 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 Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond, Charles Lennox, 4th Duke Of 1764 births 1819 deaths Nobility from Moray Deaths from rabies British Army generals British Army personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars British duellists 304 204

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

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) 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 Dukes of Aubigny