Charles Russell (VC)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Russell, 3rd Baronet VC
(22 June 1826 – 13 April 1883), was a British
Conservative
politician and soldier. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
, and his second wife, Marie Clotilde daughter of Benoit Mottet de la Fontaine, Baron Fieffé de St Corneille. He was educated at Eton College
and entered the Grenadier Guards
in 1847. Charles inherited the baronetcy and the family estate of Swallowfield Park
in Berkshire
in 1852. He became a lieutenant and a captain the following year and accompanied his regiment to the Crimea
where he took part in the Siege of Sebastopol and the Battles of Alma
, Balaclava
and Inkerman
. He was a 28-year-old Brevet
Major
in the 3rd Battalion in the latter battle when the following action took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 5 November 1854, Brevet Major Russell offered to dislodge a party of Russians from the Sandbag Battery if anyone would follow him. A sergeant and privates, Anthony Palmer
and another who was subsequently killed - were the first to volunteer. The party met much resistance and several times seemed to be on the point of annihilation but their skill, especially with the bayonet, finally brought success. Major Russell himself fought with great valour and in single combat wrenched the rifle out of the grasp of a powerful Russian. His citation read:
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Grenadier Guards RHQ), Wellington Barracks, London, England. He later achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.
for Berkshire
from 1865 to 1868 and for Westminster
from 1874 to 1883. Lord Salisbury appointed Sir Charles Chairman of the Peruvian Bondholders Committee. Its aim was to "stop Peru from contracting a fresh loan to buy munitions". More broadly the Europeans wished to delay US Navy assistance to Peru, which had already been defeated by the Chileans. Both Britain and France had large investments to protect: the rise of Peruvian bond stock, they contended was due to debt and military defeats. Britain refused to become embroiled; whereas the United States was spoiling for an international war. They secretly lobbied at Santiago against Russell and British interests to create a crisis. The Chileans "received with acclamation" in the City of London, assigning profits of Tarapaca mines and the Guano Islands to the indebted bondholders. On this basis Russell welcomed Chile's conquest of southern Peru. The Americans responded, to the alarm of Foreign Office and Admiralty, by leasing the Peruvian port of Chimbote as a Naval base. Russell was more concerned with the financial implications for City investors. Wary of the risks of direct intervention, the bondholders urged Parliament to recognise General Yglesias, the new Peruvian leader. The Americans stubbornly refused to grant the new government of 1884 recognition of its international status, even after the Treaty of Ancon had ceased hostilities.
He died unmarried on 13 April 1883 and was buried in the family vault
beneath All Saints' Church, Swallowfield. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his brother, George
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(22 June 1826 – 13 April 1883), was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and soldier. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Military career
Russell was the second but eldest surviving son of Sir Henry Russell, 2nd Baronet, British 'Resident' at the court of Hyderabad in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and his second wife, Marie Clotilde daughter of Benoit Mottet de la Fontaine, Baron Fieffé de St Corneille. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and entered the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
in 1847. Charles inherited the baronetcy and the family estate of Swallowfield Park
Swallowfield Park
Swallowfield Park is a Grade II* listed stately home and estate in the English county of Berkshire. The house is situated near the village of Swallowfield, some 4 miles south of the town of Reading.-The House :...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in 1852. He became a lieutenant and a captain the following year and accompanied his regiment to the Crimea
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
where he took part in the Siege of Sebastopol and the Battles of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, Balaclava
Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
and Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
. He was a 28-year-old Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the 3rd Battalion in the latter battle when the following action took place for which he was awarded the VC.
Anthony Palmer
Anthony Palmer VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
and another who was subsequently killed - were the first to volunteer. The party met much resistance and several times seemed to be on the point of annihilation but their skill, especially with the bayonet, finally brought success. Major Russell himself fought with great valour and in single combat wrenched the rifle out of the grasp of a powerful Russian. His citation read:
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Grenadier Guards RHQ), Wellington Barracks, London, England. He later achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Politics
Russell was also involved in politics and sat as Conservative as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Berkshire
Berkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Berkshire was a parliamentary constituency in England, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885...
from 1865 to 1868 and for Westminster
Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain 1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter....
from 1874 to 1883. Lord Salisbury appointed Sir Charles Chairman of the Peruvian Bondholders Committee. Its aim was to "stop Peru from contracting a fresh loan to buy munitions". More broadly the Europeans wished to delay US Navy assistance to Peru, which had already been defeated by the Chileans. Both Britain and France had large investments to protect: the rise of Peruvian bond stock, they contended was due to debt and military defeats. Britain refused to become embroiled; whereas the United States was spoiling for an international war. They secretly lobbied at Santiago against Russell and British interests to create a crisis. The Chileans "received with acclamation" in the City of London, assigning profits of Tarapaca mines and the Guano Islands to the indebted bondholders. On this basis Russell welcomed Chile's conquest of southern Peru. The Americans responded, to the alarm of Foreign Office and Admiralty, by leasing the Peruvian port of Chimbote as a Naval base. Russell was more concerned with the financial implications for City investors. Wary of the risks of direct intervention, the bondholders urged Parliament to recognise General Yglesias, the new Peruvian leader. The Americans stubbornly refused to grant the new government of 1884 recognition of its international status, even after the Treaty of Ancon had ceased hostilities.
He died unmarried on 13 April 1883 and was buried in the family vault
Burial vault (tomb)
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
beneath All Saints' Church, Swallowfield. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his brother, George
Sir George Russell, 4th Baronet
Sir George Russell, 4th Baronet was a British barrister and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1898....
.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Berkshire)
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.