George Onslow (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
George Onslow was a British politician and army officer, the eldest son of Richard Onslow
and his second wife Pooley, and the nephew of Arthur Onslow
, Speaker of the House of Commons.
Onslow was born in Guildford, Surrey in 1731. He entered the British Army
as an ensign
in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
on 17 February 1748 and became a captain
in John Guise's Regiment of Foot on 12 January 1751.
Onslow married Jane Thorpe on 29 July 1752. They had five children:
Onslow continued to rise in the Army, and was promoted major
in the 57th Regiment of Foot
on 3 August 1757. He returned to his original regiment, the Foot Guards, in 27 March 1759 with the rank of captain-lieutenant and was promoted lieutenant-colonel on 7 November 1759. He entered the House of Commons
in March 1760 upon the death of his father, replacing him as one of the members
for Guildford
. He was known as "Colonel Onslow" in the Commons to distinguish him from his first cousin George Onslow
, later Earl of Onslow
.
Onslow began his parliamentary career as one of the Rockingham Whigs
, like his cousin George. Onslow was the only member to declare that issue no. 45 of The North Briton
was not a libel on the King, and he opposed the expulsion of Wilkes
from the House. As a reward for his support of the Rockingham administration, he received the post of Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest
for life in 1765. In 1766, he voted for the repeal of the Stamp Act
.
However, Onslow's political views then took a decidedly conservative turn, supporting the Grafton
and then the North
ministries. In 1770, he opposed the resolutions of Burke
on the disturbances in North America. In the following year, Onslow took a leading role in the efforts to block printers from reporting debates in the Commons. The resulting confrontation, fueled in turn by a report that described him as "little cocking George" (an allusion to his enjoyment of cockfighting), was a severe blow to the prestige of the North ministry, and Onslow was hanged in effigy on Tower Hill
alongside an effigy of Sir Fletcher Norton
, speaker and fellow-member for Guildford.
Onslow remained a steadfast supporter of North, opposing efforts to make peace after the surrender of Burgoyne
at Saratoga. He also opposed the petitions for economic reform debated in 1780, and the Contractor's Bill in 1781. He voted against the motion of no confidence
that unseated the ministry in March 1782, and followed North into opposition. Onslow supported the return of North in the Fox-North Coalition
, but retired from Parliament in 1784.
Onslow died in 1792 at Dunsborough House, Ripley, Surrey
, after suffering a carriage accident.
Richard Onslow (British Army officer)
Lieutenant-General Richard Onslow was a British army officer and politician.He was the second son of Foot Onslow and the younger brother of Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons. On 9 December 1726, he married his brother's sister-in-law, Rose Bridges, daughter of John Bridges of Thames...
and his second wife Pooley, and the nephew of Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity.-Early life and education:...
, Speaker of the House of Commons.
Onslow was born in Guildford, Surrey in 1731. He entered the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the 1st Regiment of Foot 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...
on 17 February 1748 and became a captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in John Guise's Regiment of Foot on 12 January 1751.
Onslow married Jane Thorpe on 29 July 1752. They had five children:
- Richard Onslow (b. 1754)
- Pooley Onslow (b. 1758), married on 23 January 1788 Rear Admiral Sir Francis Samuel Drake, 1st BaronetSir Francis Samuel Drake, 1st BaronetRear Admiral Sir Francis Samuel Drake, 1st Baronet was the fourth son of Sir Francis Henry Drake, 4th Baronet, and Anne Heathcote. He was baptised on 14 September 1729, at Buckland Monachorum, Devonshire. He was Rear Admiral of the Red. He was created a Baronet on 9 July 1782, for bravery in...
; married on 13 June 1801 Arthur Onslow (1759–1833) - George Onslow (b. 1764)
- Rev. George Walton Onslow (1768–1844)
- Rev. Arthur Onslow (1773–1851), married Marianna Campbell, by whom he was grandfather of Arthur Alexander Walton Onslow and Alexander OnslowAlexander OnslowSir Alexander Campbell Onslow was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Western Australia....
, and ancestor of Cranley OnslowCranley OnslowCranley Gordon Douglas Onslow, Baron Onslow of Woking KCMG PC was a British politician and served as the Conservative MP for Woking from 1964 to 1997....
; married Caroline Mangles, by whom he was the ancestor of the Hughes-Onslow family.
Onslow continued to rise in the Army, and was promoted 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 57th Regiment of Foot
57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot
The 57th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of line infantry in the British Army.-History:The regiment started out as the 59th Regiment of Foot raised in Gloucester in 1755....
on 3 August 1757. He returned to his original regiment, the Foot Guards, in 27 March 1759 with the rank of captain-lieutenant and was promoted lieutenant-colonel on 7 November 1759. He entered the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in March 1760 upon the death of his father, replacing him as one of the members
Member 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 Guildford
Guildford (UK Parliament constituency)
Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
. He was known as "Colonel Onslow" in the Commons to distinguish him from his first cousin George Onslow
George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow
George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow PC , known as The Lord Onslow from 1776 until 1801, was a British peer and politician....
, later Earl of Onslow
Earl of Onslow
Earl of Onslow, of Onslow in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1801 for George Onslow, 4th Baron Onslow. The Onslow family descends from Arthur Onslow, who represented Bramber, Sussex and Guildford in the House of Commons...
.
Onslow began his parliamentary career as one of the Rockingham Whigs
Rockingham Whigs
The Rockingham Whigs or Rockinghamite Whigs in 18th century British politics were a faction of the Whigs led by Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, when he was the opposition leader in the House of Lords during the government of Lord North from 1770 to 1782 and during the two...
, like his cousin George. Onslow was the only member to declare that issue no. 45 of The North Briton
The North Briton
The North Briton was a radical newspaper published in 18th century London. The North Briton also served as the pseudonym of the newspaper's author, used in advertisements, letters to other publications, and handbills....
was not a libel on the King, and he opposed the expulsion of Wilkes
John Wilkes
John Wilkes was an English radical, journalist and politician.He was first elected Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives...
from the House. As a reward for his support of the Rockingham administration, he received the post of Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest
Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest
The Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest was an official post associated with the royal forest of Windsor.The nominal duties of the out-ranger were to preserve any deer which escaped the bounds of Windsor Forest...
for life in 1765. In 1766, he voted for the repeal of the Stamp Act
Stamp Act 1765
The Stamp Act 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. The act required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp...
.
However, Onslow's political views then took a decidedly conservative turn, supporting the Grafton
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, KG, PC , styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, was a British Whig statesman of the Georgian era...
and then the North
Frederick North, Lord North
Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC , more often known by his courtesy title, Lord North, which he used from 1752 until 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence...
ministries. In 1770, he opposed the resolutions of Burke
Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party....
on the disturbances in North America. In the following year, Onslow took a leading role in the efforts to block printers from reporting debates in the Commons. The resulting confrontation, fueled in turn by a report that described him as "little cocking George" (an allusion to his enjoyment of cockfighting), was a severe blow to the prestige of the North ministry, and Onslow was hanged in effigy on Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
alongside an effigy of Sir Fletcher Norton
Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley
Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley PC was an English politician.He was the eldest son of Thomas Norton of Grantley, Yorkshire. He became a barrister in 1739, and, after a period of inactivity, built up a profitable practice, becoming a King's Counsel in 1754, and later attorney-general for the...
, speaker and fellow-member for Guildford.
Onslow remained a steadfast supporter of North, opposing efforts to make peace after the surrender of Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
at Saratoga. He also opposed the petitions for economic reform debated in 1780, and the Contractor's Bill in 1781. He voted against the motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
that unseated the ministry in March 1782, and followed North into opposition. Onslow supported the return of North in the Fox-North Coalition
Fox-North Coalition
The Fox-North Coalition was a government in Great Britain that held office during 1783. As the name suggests, the ministry was a coalition of the groups supporting Charles James Fox and Lord North...
, but retired from Parliament in 1784.
Onslow died in 1792 at Dunsborough House, Ripley, Surrey
Ripley, Surrey
Ripley is a village and parish in Surrey, which grew on the main A3 road from London to Portsmouth. The road was renumbered as B2215 when a bypass was built. The village is situated close to the M25 motorway and southeast of Woking, northeast of Guildford and some southwest of central London...
, after suffering a carriage accident.