General Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox, 4th Duke of Aubigny, KG, PC (9 December 1764 – 28 August 1819) was a Scottish peer, soldier, politician, and Governor-general of British North America.
His Grace General The Duke of Richmond and Lennox KG PC | |
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Lord Lieutenant of Ireland | |
In office 11 April 1807 – 23 June 1813 | |
Monarch | George III |
Prime Minister | The Duke of Portland Hon. Spencer Perceval The Earl of Liverpool |
Preceded by | The Duke of Bedford |
Succeeded by | The Viscount Whitworth |
Governor General of British North America | |
In office 1818–1819 | |
Monarch | George III |
Preceded by | Sir John Coape Sherbrooke |
Succeeded by | The Earl of Dalhousie |
Member of Parliament for Sussex | |
In office 1790–1806 | |
Preceded by | Lord George Lennox |
Succeeded by | Charles William Wyndham |
Personal details | |
Born | 9 December 1764 (1764-12-09) Gordon Castle, Scotland |
Died | 28 August 1819(1819-08-28) (aged 54) Richmond, British North America |
Political party | Tory |
Spouse | Lady Charlotte Gordon |
Children | 14, including Charles, John, William, Sussex, and Arthur |
Parent(s) | Lord George Lennox Lady Louisa Kerr |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch/service | British Army |
Years of service | 1785–1819 |
Rank | General |
Unit | Coldstream Guards |
Commands | 35th Regiment of Foot |
Battles/wars |
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Richmond was born to General Lord George Lennox, the younger son of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, and Lady Louisa, daughter of William Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian. His aunts included the famous five Lennox sisters.
Richmond was a keen cricketer. He was an accomplished right-hand bat and a noted wicket-keeper. An amateur, he was a founder member of the Marylebone Cricket Club. In 1786, together with the Earl of Winchilsea, Richmond offered Thomas Lord a guarantee against any losses Lord might suffer on starting a new cricket 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.
Richmond became a British Army 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, Richmond fired, but his ball "grazed his Royal Highness's curl"; the Duke did not fire.[1] Richmond shortly after exchanged his company for the commission of a lieutenant-colonel in the 35th Regiment of Foot.[2] 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.[3]
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 and Gibraltar, 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.
He became the 4th Duke of Richmond on 29 December 1806, after the death of his uncle, Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond. In April 1807 he became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He remained in that post until 1813. He participated in the Napoleonic Wars and in 1815 he was in command of a reserve force in Brussels, which was protecting that city in case Napoleon won the Battle of Waterloo. 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 and was immortalised by William Makepeace Thackeray in Vanity Fair and by Lord Byron 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.
In 1818 he was appointed Governor-general of British North America.
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. 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.[4]
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.
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.
Richmond 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.
Richmond had fourteen children:[citation needed]
Parliament of Great Britain | ||
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Preceded by Lord George Henry Lennox Lord Pelham |
Member of Parliament for Sussex 1790–1801 With: Lord Pelham |
Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain |
Member of Parliament for Sussex 1801–1806 With: Lord Pelham 1801 John Fuller 1801–1806 |
Succeeded by John Fuller Charles William Wyndham |
Government offices | ||
Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1807–1813 |
Succeeded by The Viscount Whitworth |
Preceded by Sir John Coape Sherbrooke |
Governor General of British North America 1818–1819 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Dalhousie |
Military offices | ||
Preceded by Sir William Medows |
Governor of Kingston-upon-Hull 1813–1814 |
Succeeded by The Lord Hill |
Preceded by The Viscount Howe |
Governor of Plymouth 1814–1819 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Wellington |
Honorary titles | ||
Preceded by The Earl of Ashburnham |
Vice-Admiral of Sussex 1812–1819 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Egremont |
Preceded by The Duke of Norfolk |
Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1816–1819 | |
Peerage of England | ||
Preceded by Charles Lennox |
Duke of Richmond 3rd creation 1806–1819 |
Succeeded by Charles Gordon-Lennox |
Peerage of Scotland | ||
Preceded by Charles Lennox |
Duke of Lennox 2nd creation 1806–1819 |
Succeeded by Charles Gordon-Lennox |
French nobility | ||
Preceded by Charles Lennox |
Duke of Aubigny 1806–1819 |
Succeeded by Charles Gordon-Lennox |
Lieutenant-governors of Quebec | ||
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Post-Confederation (1867–present) |
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Province of Canada (1841–66)* |
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Lower Canada (1791–1841) |
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British Province of Quebec (1759–91)* |
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General | |
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National libraries | |
Biographical dictionaries | |
Other |