George Anson (British soldier)
| George Anson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 October 1797 |
| Died | 27 May 1857 (aged 59) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom / British Empire
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1814–1857 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held |
Madras Army Indian Army |
| Battles/wars | Indian Mutiny |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Major-General George Anson CB (13 October 1797 – 27 May 1857) was a British military officer and Whig politician from the Anson family.
Anson was the second son of Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson, and his wife Anne Margaret, daughter of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham Hall, Norfolk. Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield was his elder brother. He was educated at Eton College.
Anton entered the Army in 1814 as an Ensign in the 3rd (Scots Fusiliers) Guards and served at an early age in the Napoleonic Wars and fought at the Battle of Waterloo. He later sat as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Yarmouth from 1818 to 1835, for Stoke-upon-Trent from 1836 to 1837, and for Staffordshire South from 1837 to 1853 and served as Storekeeper of the Ordnance under Lord Melbourne from 1835 to 1841 and as Clerk of the Ordnance under Melbourne in 1841 and under Lord John Russell from 1846 to 1852.
In 1853 Anson was promoted to the rank of Major-General. The following year he was appointed to the command of the Madras Army in 1854, and early in 1856 became Commander-in-Chief in India. He was Colonel of the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot from 12 December 1856. Since Anson's prior military career consisted of a few months' active service as a subaltern in the Guards (admittedly including Waterloo), a decade on home service in London while also sitting in Parliament as an MP, and 26 and a half years on half-pay, these appointments caused disgruntled comment in some quarters and were presented as an example of "Horse Guards Patronage" at its worst. His decision to accept the Madras appointment caused surprise in English political and social circles, where he was noted mainly for his gentlemanly ways, his good looks and attractive wife, and his skill at cards.
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