Granville Elliott
Encyclopedia
Morhange
Morhange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
) was a British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
military officer. He served with distinction in several other European armies and subsequently in 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...
. He fought at the Battle of Minden
Battle of Minden
The Battle of Minden—or Thonhausen—was fought on 1 August 1759, during the Seven Years' War. An army fielded by the Anglo-German alliance commanded by Field Marshal Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of France Louis, Marquis de Contades...
where he was wounded, dying of his injuries several weeks later.
Early life
Elliott was born at Byfeld House, Church Road, BarnesMunicipal Borough of Barnes
Barnes was a local government district in north west Surrey from 1894 to 1965.It was formed as an urban district in 1894 and became a municipal borough in 1932....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
to Major-General Roger Elliott
Roger Elliott
Major General Roger Elliott was one of the earliest British Governors of Gibraltar. His nephew George Augustus Eliott also became a noted Governor and defender of Gibraltar....
(c. 1665 – 15 May 1714) and his wife Charlotte (née Elliot, c. 1692 - c. 1753). He was baptised on 27 October 1713 at St Mary the Virgin's Church, Barnes
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Barnes
St Mary's Church, Barnes is the parish church of Barnes in Greater London . It is a grade 2* listed buildingIt was built of coursed flint sometime between 1100-1150. It was enlarged and re- consecrated in 1215 after the signing of Magna Carta. It was extended to the west in the 13th century, and...
. His godparents were George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne
George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne
George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne PC was an English poet, playwright, and politician who served as a Privy Counsellor from 1712.-Early life:...
and Mrs Killigrew.
When Granville was less than one year old, his father died and Granville was brought up by his mother and her new husband, Captain Thomas Burroughs. Later that decade, he was made a ward of his mother's younger brother Colonel William Elliot
William Elliot of Wells
William Elliot of Wells was an army officer, courtier, and Member of Parliament during the reign of George II.The son of William Elliot of Wells , the younger William was christened 17 January 1696 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster...
(c. 1704 – 1764). In 1725, Granville was admitted to Dr Dunster's Academy in Little Marlborough Street, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and in 1730 he matriculated as a Law Student at the University of Groningen
University of Groningen
The University of Groningen , located in the city of Groningen, was founded in 1614. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands as well as one of its largest. Since its inception more than 100,000 students have graduated...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Continental European Military career
By 1732, Granville was in the service of the HM Karl Philipp von Pfalz-NeuburgKarl III Philip, Elector Palatine
Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach. He was Elector Palatine, Count of Palatinate-Neuburg, and Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1716 to 1742...
, Elector Palatine of the Rhine. On 7 March 1735, ahead of Granville's marriage on 15 March 1735 at Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
to Jeanne Thérèse du Han
Jeanne Thérèse du Han
Jeanne Thérèse du Han de Martigny was born and baptized the same day in Lunéville, in the duchy of Lorraine, now part of France. She was the daughter of Philippe-Louis du Han, comte de Martigny and his wife Catherine Françoise de Roquefeuil de Puydebar...
, Comtesse de Martigny (30 October 1707 - 7 May 1748), he was created a Chambellan in the Elector's army and raised to the title of Comte de Morhange in the Moselle region. To facilitate the marriage, Granville converted to Catholicism, and took the forename Joseph, which caused him problems with his mother's Calvinist relatives. In August 1736, he and his mother swore oaths at the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in London that the Elliott family descended from a legal marriage of Richard Eliot
Richard Eliot
Richard Eliot was the wayward second son of Sir John Eliot and Rhadigund Geddy .Richard went to the University of Oxford at his father's suggestion, but did not fare well with academic life. He became embroiled at Oxford in various difficulties, which are mentioned without further detail in his...
(b. 1614 - unknown), the wayward second son of Sir John Eliot
John Eliot (statesman)
Sir John Eliot was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he eventually died, by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament.-Family and early life:...
(1592–1632) to Catherine Killigrew (1617–1689), daughter of Sir Robert Killigrew
Robert Killigrew
Sir Robert Killigrew was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador the the United Provinces.-Life:...
(1580–1633) and Mary Woodhouse (CIR 1584 - 1655). However, the two oaths differed in some details, and no independent evidence for any marriage of Richard has ever come to light. Moreover, Catherine Killigrew was still described as spinster in 1655 when she executed her mother's will. As a result, Granville was not recognised by the College of Arms as a legitimate relative of the then Lord Eliot of Port Eliot
Port Eliot
Port Eliot in St Germans, Cornwall, is the seat of the Eliot family, whose current head is Peregrine Eliot, 10th Earl of St Germans. Port Eliot comprises a house with its own church which is the parish church of St Germans. An earlier church building was the cathedral for the whole of Cornwall...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, ancestors of the present Earls of St Germans
Earl of St Germans
Earl of St Germans, in the County of Cornwall, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for John Eliot, 2nd Baron Eliot, with remainder to his younger brother the Hon. William Eliot and the heirs male of his body. He had earlier represented Liskeard in Parliament...
. Nevertheless, Granville Elliott had a pedigree drawn up (which survives today) and formally presented to him in Paris by the British Ambassador / Plenipotentiary. As a result of this device, Granville became known at the Elector's Court as Comte Eliot de Port-Eliot, and Graf Eliot von Port-Eliot.
On 29 October 1736, Granville was promoted to the rank of Colonel, taking over the colonelcy of the Carabinier Regiment on 1 February 1737, and the Dragoons Regiment on 10 July 1738. In 1737, Granville was appointed Cavalry General of the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
, the legislature of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. A few years later, he was working at Lunéville
Lunéville
Lunéville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department and lies on the Meurthe River.-History:...
, at the court of the exiled King Stanislaus I of Poland who had become Duke of Lorraine and Bar
Barrois
Barrois is a "pays" in the eastern part of France. In the Middle Ages it was part of the duchy of Bar, then bordering the duchy of Lorraine. Today Barrois is a "pays" of the present-day Région Lorraine.-External links:*...
. In 1745, he was appointed Major-General of Cavalry for the Elector Palatine. On 22 April 1745, he was promoted to Major-General; on 24 June 1746, to Lieutenant-General of Cavalry, and, on 2 November 1748, to Lieutenant-General of Cavalry for the States-General of the Netherlands.
Granville and his wife appeared regularly in the Madame de Graffigny correspondence, usually under his baptised name Joseph or his familiar name Cotoco. His wife died on 7 May 1748, and this caused a substantial change of direction for Granville. He left his first grown-up family with their French relatives, returned to the UK, forsook his Catholicism and repaired the bridges with his mother's relatives. It appears that Granville did not subsequently contact his French family, although there was no known ill-will between them.
British Military Career
Back in the UK, he remarried, on 3 September 1750, to Elizabeth Duckett (25 June 1724 - October 1804) at St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish StreetSt. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street
St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street was a church in Castle Baynard ward of the City of London, England, located on the corner of Old Fish Street and Old Change, on land now covered by post-War development. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of...
, London. However, he soon returned to the service of the Estates-General of the Netherlands, and the first child of his second marriage was born in the Netherlands although later children would be born at their home in Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
.
On his return to the UK, he was appointed Major-General of the Scotch Brigade. On 21 April 1757, he became Colonel and Major-General of the British 61st Foot Regiment - The Glorious Glosters. That summer, he was a Staff Officer on the army expedition
Raid on St Malo
The Raid on St Malo took place in June 1758 when an amphibious British naval expedition landed close to the French port of St Malo in Brittany. While the town itself was not attacked, as had been initially planned, the British destroyed large amounts of shipping before re-embarking a week later...
to St Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
, and, from 5 July 1758 to 31 August 1758, he received a short-term commission as Colonel and Lieutenant-General in the Dutch Army. The Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
was approaching, and Granville's knowledge of continental warfare was significant. In early 1759, he returned to continental Europe, as part of a massive British army deployment. At the Battle of Minden
Battle of Minden
The Battle of Minden—or Thonhausen—was fought on 1 August 1759, during the Seven Years' War. An army fielded by the Anglo-German alliance commanded by Field Marshal Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of France Louis, Marquis de Contades...
, on 1 August 1759, he commanded the Cavalry Regiment under John Manners, Marquess of Granby
John Manners, Marquess of Granby
General John Manners, Marquess of Granby PC, , British soldier, was the eldest son of the 3rd Duke of Rutland. As he did not outlive his father, he was known by his father's subsidiary title, Marquess of Granby...
. Manners was himself second in command to Sir George Sackville
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville PC , known as the Hon. George Sackville to 1720, as Lord George Sackville from 1720 to 1770, and as Lord George Germain from 1770 to 1782, was a British soldier and politician who was Secretary of State for America in Lord North's cabinet during the American...
, who was later cashiered for his inaction at the battle. Despite this chain of command, Granville Elliott saw significant action in battle, and was seriously wounded. He retired to convalesce at army headquarters in Rodheim an der Bieber, Gießen
Gießen (district)
Gießen is a Kreis in the middle of Hessen, Germany. Neighboring districts are Marburg-Biedenkopf, Vogelsbergkreis, Wetteraukreis, Lahn-Dill.-History:...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but died there 9 weeks later on 10 October 1759 from the wounds incurred. He is buried in the local 13th century church. A brass commemorative plaque was erected during the 20th century by his British descendants in the church.
Light Cavalry was introduced into the British Army as a direct result of advice from General Granville Elliott.
Family
Granville married twice.Firstly, on 15 March 1735 at Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, to Jeanne Thérèse du Han
Jeanne Thérèse du Han
Jeanne Thérèse du Han de Martigny was born and baptized the same day in Lunéville, in the duchy of Lorraine, now part of France. She was the daughter of Philippe-Louis du Han, comte de Martigny and his wife Catherine Françoise de Roquefeuil de Puydebar...
, Comtesse de Martigny (30 October 1707 - 7 May 1748), by whom he had at least six sons and a daughter:
- Marie Charlotte Elliott (23 May 1736 - 3 February 1785)
- Stanislaus François Xavier Elliott (6 July 1737 - after 1752)
- Amable Gaspard Antoine Elliott (4 September 1738 - 14 June 1814)
- Charles Phillippe Elliott (1 December 1740 - unknown)
- Paul Antoine Elliott (12 June 1741 - 25 July 1741)
- François Maximillian Elliott (12 June 1741 - unknown)
- Jean-Baptiste-François Elliott (25 June 1747 - unknown)
Secondly, on 3 September 1750 at St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street
St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street
St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street was a church in Castle Baynard ward of the City of London, England, located on the corner of Old Fish Street and Old Change, on land now covered by post-War development. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of...
, to Elizabeth Duckett (25 June 1724 - October 1804), by whom he had at least three sons and three daughters. Elizabeth was the niece of Sir George Duckett.
- Mary Frances Elliott (28 May 1751 - 26 June 1752)
- William Roger Elliott (10 May 1753 - unknown)
- Francis Perceval EliotFrancis Perceval EliotFrancis Perceval Eliot was an English soldier, auditor and man of letters.Eliot was the son of General Granville Elliott and his second wife, Elizabeth Duckett...
(September 1755 - 23 August 1818) - Catherine Frances Eliot (27 January 1757 - 10 March 1757)
- John Lewis Elliott (29 June 1758 - December 1819)
- Elizabeth Georgiana Elliott (21 July 1759 - 22 November 1759)
Of these Francis Perceval Eliot
Francis Perceval Eliot
Francis Perceval Eliot was an English soldier, auditor and man of letters.Eliot was the son of General Granville Elliott and his second wife, Elizabeth Duckett...
and his children continued the family's close connection with the Army. Francis also re-established contact with his French half-siblings.