Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Sir George Nugent, 1st Baronet, (10 June 1757 – 11 March 1849) was 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 ...

officer. After serving as a junior officer in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, he fought with the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

under the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs ...

during the Flanders Campaign. He then commanded the Buckinghamshire Volunteers in the actions of St. Andria and Thuyl on the river

Waal WAAL (99.1 FM broadcasting, FM; "The Whale") is a commercial radio, commercial radio station licensed to Binghamton, New York. It airs a classic rock radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. WAAL is the oldest FM radio station continuou ...

and participated in the disastrous retreat from the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

. He went on to be commander of the northern district of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, in which post he played an important part in placating the people of

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

during the Irish Rebellion, and then became Adjutant-General in Ireland. He went on to be

Governor of Jamaica This is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica. For context, see History of Jama ...

, commander of the Western District in England, commander of the Kent District in England and finally

Commander-in-Chief, India During the period of the Company and Crown rule in India, the Commander-in-Chief, India (often "Commander-in-Chief ''in'' or ''of'' India") was the supreme commander of the Indian Army from 1833 to 1947. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his ...

Early life

Born the illegitimate son of Lieutenant Colonel the Hon. Edmund Nugent (who was the only son of

Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent Robert Craggs-Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent, PC (1709 – 13 October 1788) was an Anglo-Irish politician and poet. He was tersely described by Richard Glover as a jovial and voluptuous Irishman who had left "Popery" for the Protestant religion, mo ...

) and a Ms. Fennings. His father had another illegitimate son,

Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

Sir

Charles Edmund Nugent Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Edmund Nugent (c.1759 – 7 January 1844) was a Royal Navy officer. He saw action as a junior officer in the 50-gun at the Battle of Sullivan's Island during the American Revolutionary War. He was held as a pr ...

. His father's half sister, Mary Elizabeth Nugent, married

George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham (17 June 1753 – 11 February 1813), known as George Grenville before 1779 and as The Earl Temple between 1779 and 1784, was a British statesman. Background and early life Grenville w ...

. Through his Mary, he inherited the title of

Earl Nugent Earl Nugent was a title the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 21 July 1776 for Robert Craggs-Nugent, 1st Viscount Clare, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his son-in-law The 3rd Earl Temple and the heirs male of his body. Cr ...

. Lord Buckingham's aunt, Hester Grenville, had married William Pitt, who became

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

. Nugent was educated at

Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...

and the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of Officer (armed forces), commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers o ...

Military career

He was commissioned as an

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in the 39th Regiment of Foot on 5 July 1773 and was posted to

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 ...

.Heathcote, p.232 He transferred the

7th Regiment of Foot Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season epi ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

with promotion to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in September 1777 and saw action at the

Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery The Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery was an American Revolutionary War battle fought in the Hudson Highlands of the Hudson River valley, not far from West Point, on October 6, 1777. British forces under the command of General Sir Henry Cli ...

in October 1777 and then took part in the

Philadelphia campaign The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British military campaign during the American Revolutionary War designed to gain control of Philadelphia, the Revolutionary-era capital where the Second Continental Congress convened, formed the ...

during the

. He continued to serve in North America and became a

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 ...

in the

57th Regiment of Foot The 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot was a regiment of line infantry in the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 77th (East Middlesex) Regiment of Foot to form the Middlesex Regiment in 1881. His ...

on 28 April 1778 and a

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in the same regiment on 3 May 1782.

Flanders and Ireland

Promoted to lieutenant colonel in September 1783, Nugent was appointed commanding officer of the

97th Regiment of Foot The 97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1824 and amalgamated into the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) in 1881. History Raising In 1823 and 1824 the size of the British Arm ...

and returned to England, but in the post-war cost reductions the regiment was disbanded and he instead became commanding officer of the

13th Regiment of Foot In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major or minor . A thirteenth chord is the ...

in 1787.Heathcote, p.233 He became an aide-de-camp to his brother-in-law, the

Marquess of Buckingham Marquess of Buckingham was a title that has been created two times in the peerages of England and Great Britain. The first creation of the marquessate was in 1618 for George Villiers, a favourite of James I of England. He had previously been ...

, who was serving as

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 ...

, in November 1787. On Buckingham's departure from

, Nugent became commanding officer of the

4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Arran's Regiment of Cuirassiers. It was renamed as the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards in 1 ...

in 1789. Nugent became Member of Parliament for

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of ...

in 1790. He exchanged into the

as a company commander in October 1790 and served at the Siege of Valenciennes in May 1793, the

Battle of Lincelles The Battle of Lincelles was an action that took place as part of a larger manoeuvre on 17 August 1793 in the Low Countries theatre of the War of the First Coalition, Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition. It was fought between t ...

in August 1793 and the Siege of Dunkirk also in August 1793 under the

during the Flanders Campaign. The

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

recalled Nugent to supervise the raising of the 85th Buckinghamshire Volunteers in March 1794. He commanded the regiment under

Sir Ralph Abercromby Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, (7 October 173428 March 1801) was a British Army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Trinidad in 1797. Rising to the rank of lieutenant general in the British ...

in the action at Fort St. Andries, and with Major General David Dundas at

Tuil Tuil is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of West Betuwe, and lies about 14 km west of the town Tiel. Jan Willem Boellaard has been Lord of Tuil since 1956. History The area now encompassing t ...

on the river

and participated in the disastrous retreat from the

. Promoted to major general on 1 May 1796, he became Captain of

St Mawes Castle St Mawes Castle () is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth, Cornwall, between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device Fort, Device programme to protect against invasion ...

on 5 November 1796 and served in that role until his death. He went on to be commander of the northern district of

in 1798, in which post he played an important part in placating the people of

during the Irish Rebellion that year, and became Adjutant-General in Ireland in August 1799. He also represented Charleville,

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

in the last

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

before the

Acts of Union 1800 The Acts of Union 1800 were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in personal union) to create the United Kingdom of G ...

Later career

Nugent became

in April 1801 with promotion to local

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

on 29 May 1802. While serving there, he strengthened the fort that the Spanish slave agent in Jamaica, James Castillo, had built in 1709 in Harbour View. Named Fort Nugent, the fort guarded the eastern entrance of the city of

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

Harbour, although all that remains there now is a

Martello tower Martello towers are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up to high (with two floors) and typica ...

that was added after Nugent's departure. Promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant general on 25 September 1803, Nugent returned to England in February 1806 and became commander of the Western District in England in August 1806. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...

on 3 November 1806 and created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

Waddesdon Waddesdon is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, west-north-west of Aylesbury on the A41 road. The village also includes the hamlets of Eythrope and Wormstone. Waddesdon was an agricultural settlement with milling, silk weaving and la ...

in the county of

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

on 11 November 1806. He bought

Westhorpe House Westhorpe House is a Grade II listed building near Little Marlow which was the home of Maria Nugent and Field marshal Sir George Nugent. The Main House is and the Coach House is . History The house was built for James Chase MP in the classica ...

in Buckinghamshire in October 1808 and became commander of the Kent District in England in July 1809. Nugent stood down from his seat in Parliament to become

in January 1811. Having been appointed a

Knight of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His ...

on 1 February 1813 and promoted to full

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 ...

on 4 June 1813, Nugent was replaced as Commander-in-Chief by

Lord Moira Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings (9 December 175428 November 1826), styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762, Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783, The Lord Rawdon from 1783 to 1793 and The Earl of Moira bet ...

in October 1813. Nugent was relegated to the role of Commander of the

Bengal Army The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Gover ...

but instead chose to return to England in October 1814. On return he unleashed a "skin-full of venom" against Lord Moira who in turn complained to the

Prince Regent A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness) or ab ...

about Nugent's hostile behaviour. He was advanced to

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His ...

on 2 January 1815 and, having been elected Member of Parliament for

again in July 1818, he was awarded an honorary DCL by the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

in 1819. He finally retired from Parliament in 1832. Nugent also served as honorary colonel of the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Regiment of Foot, then as honorary colonel of the

62nd Regiment of Foot 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics A six-sided polygon is a hexagon, one of the three regular polygons capable of tiling the plane. A hexagon a ...

and later as honorary colonel of the

6th Regiment of Foot Sixth is the ordinal form of the number six. * The Sixth Amendment, to the U.S. Constitution * A keg of beer, equal to 5 U.S. gallons or barrel * The fraction Music * Sixth interval (music)s: ** major sixth, a musical interval ** minor six ...

. Promoted to

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

on 9 November 1846.

Personal life

On 16 November 1797, Nugent was married to Maria Skinner (1771–1834) in

. Maria was a daughter of

Cortlandt Skinner Cortlandt Skinner (December 16, 1727 – March 15, 1799) was the last Royal Attorney General of New Jersey and a brigadier general in a Loyalist force, the New Jersey Volunteers, also known as Skinner's Greens, during the American Revolutionary ...

, the

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and a descendant of the Schuyler and Van Cortlandt families 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 Jamestown, ...

, Together, they had three sons and two daughters, including: * Sir George Edmund Nugent, 2nd Baronet (1802–1892), who married Maria Charlotte Ridley-Colborne, a daughter of

Nicholas Ridley-Colborne, 1st Baron Colborne Nicholas William Ridley-Colborne, 1st Baron Colborne (14 April 1779 – 3 May 1854), was a British politician. Background Born Nicholas Ridley, he was the younger son of Sir Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Baronet, and Sarah Colborne (d. 1806), daugh ...

. * Louisa Elizabeth Nugent (1803–1875), who married

Thomas Fremantle, 1st Baron Cottesloe Thomas Francis Fremantle, 1st Baron Cottesloe, 2nd Baron Fremantle, (11 March 1798 – 3 December 1890), known as Sir Thomas Fremantle, Bt, between 1821 and 1874, was a British Tory politician. Early life Cottesloe was the eldest son of Ad ...

, the eldest son of Betsey and Adm. Sir Thomas Fremantle. * Charles Edmund Nugent (1811–1890), who married Louisa Douglas Price, a daughter of

Sir Rose Price, 1st Baronet Sir Rose Price, 1st Baronet (21 November 1768 – 24 September 1834) was a British planter and landowner who owned sugar plantations in the colony of Jamaica. Career On the death of his father in 1797, Rose Price inherited a number of plantat ...

. * Maria Amelia Nugent, who married

Rice Richard Clayton Rice Richard Clayton (15 November 1798 – 4 May 1879), sometimes Richard Rice Clayton, was a British Conservative politician. Born in Harleyford, Buckinghamshire, Clayton was the fourth son of Sir William Clayton, 4th Baronet and Mary née Eas ...

, the fourth son of

Sir William Clayton, 4th Baronet Sir William Clayton, 4th Baronet (16 April 1762 – 26 January 1834) of Harleyford Manor, near Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire was an English politician. Clayton was the oldest surviving son of William Clayton (died 1783), William Clayton (c. 17 ...

. George and Maria Nugent lived at Stowe and enjoyed a close friendship with his aunt and uncle, Lord and Lady Buckingham. Lady Nugent, who died in 1834, wrote a journal of her experiences in Jamaica first published in 1907. Sir George died at Westhorpe House on 11 March 1849 and was buried at St John the Baptist Church in

Little Marlow Little Marlow is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. History The Church of England parish church of Saint John the Baptist lies at the heart of the village, not far from the river and next to th ...

Descendants

Through his eldest son, he was a grandfather of Sir Edmund Charles Nugent, 3rd Baronet and through his daughter Louisa, he was a grandfather of

Thomas Fremantle, 2nd Baron Cottesloe Thomas Francis Fremantle, 2nd Baron Cottesloe, 3rd Baron Fremantle (30 January 1830 – 13 April 1918) was a British businessman and Conservative politician. Biography Early life Thomas Francis Fremantle was born on 30 January 1830. He was the ...

, Admiral Hon.

Edmund Fremantle Admiral The Honourable Sir Edmund Robert Fremantle (16 June 1836 – 10 February 1929) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth (at the time, and from 1845 to 1900, formally known as Commander-in-Chief, Devonport). N ...

, and Hon. Augusta Mary Fremantle (wife of

William Brodrick, 8th Viscount Midleton William Brodrick, 8th Viscount Midleton (6 January 1830 – 18 April 1907), was an Irish peer, landowner and Conservative politician in both Houses of Parliament, entering first the Commons for two years. Early life Midleton was born on 6 Janua ...

Arms

References

Sources

* * *

External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Nugent, George 1757 births 1849 deaths People educated at Charterhouse School Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Nugent, George, 1st Baronet British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War British Commanders-in-Chief of India British field marshals Governors of Jamaica Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath People of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Cork constituencies Irish MPs 1798–1800 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1806–1807 UK MPs 1807–1812 UK MPs 1812–1818 UK MPs 1818–1820 UK MPs 1820–1826 UK MPs 1826–1830 UK MPs 1830–1831 UK MPs 1831–1832 39th Regiment of Foot officers Royal Fusiliers officers 57th Regiment of Foot officers Somerset Light Infantry officers 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards officers Coldstream Guards officers King's Shropshire Light Infantry officers

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

Nugent baronets