Regency Personalities Series-Lord George Lennox
Regency Personalities Series
In my attempts to provide us with the details of the Regency, today I continue with one of the many period notables.
Lord George Lennox
November 29 1737-March 25 1805
General Lord George Henry Lennox
General Lord George Henry Lennox was the second son of Charles Lennox the 2nd Duke of Richmond. He was the great-grandson of King Charles II of England. He was a brother of the four famous Lennox sisters and his elder brother was the third Duke of Richmond, Charles Lennox.
As the second son (there were actually a few other elder boys born to the 2nd Duke but they died in infancy) George was the spare and slated for a non-ruling career, in this case a military career.
From 1758 to 1762 George was the Colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot. In 1757 a second battalion (2nd/33rd) of the 33rd Regiment had been raised. In 1758 this battalion became an independent regiment, the 72nd Regiment of Foot. At that time his elder brother Charles Lennox had been the Colonel of the 33rd and was then appointed Colonel of the new regiment, the 72nd. George Lennox took command of the 33rd Regiment (1st/33rd).
At the beginning of May 1758 the 33rd Regiment was stationed in Blandford, and was then moved to the Isle of Wight to take part in an attack on the French coast at St Malo on the 5th of May in the Seven Years’ War.
On August 1st 1758 both brothers Regiments (33rd & 72nd) were involved in a raid on Cherbourg, which resulted in the destruction of 30 French ships, and the capture of 200 guns and a large quantity of booty. After this the 33rd Regiment remained inactive, garrisoned on the Isle of Wight.
In 1762, he was appointed Colonel of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, which he commanded until his death. In 1784, he was appointed Constable of the Tower of London.
He married Lady Louisa kerr in 1759, the daughter of the the 4th Marquess of Lothian. They had four children. Their only son Charles, became the 4th Duke of Richmond.
