William Arden, 2nd Baron Alvanley
Encyclopedia
William Arden, 2nd Baron Alvanley (8 January 1789 – 16 November 1849) was the son of Richard Arden, 1st Baron Alvanley. He was an officer in the Coldstream Guards, attaining the rank of Captain in the service of the 50th Regiment of Foot.
He was promoted from ensign
to captain
in the Coldstream Guards
in March 1809. He later transferred to the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot
, and exchanged to the half-pay
of the 100th Regiment of Foot
on 1 September 1812.
Lord Alvanley was a Regency
buck and member of the Prince Regent
's circle, and was friends with Beau Brummell
. He, Brummell, Henry Mildmay, and Henry Pierrepoint were considered the prime movers of Watier's
, dubbed "the Dandy
Club" by Byron
. They were also the four hosts of the July 1813 masquerade ball
at which the Prince Regent
greeted Alvanley and Pierrepoint, but then "cut" Brummell and Mildmay by snubbing them, staring them in the face but not speaking to them. Brummell then said to Alvanley, "Alvanley, who's your fat friend?" The Prince Regent was not amused; this incident was the final and most public sign that Brummell was no longer favored by "Prinny".
Alvanley continued to support Brummell, sending money to his friend during Brummell's exile in France. In 1835, Alvanley fought a duel with Morgan O'Connell
. According to a near contemporary report "[Alvanley] went through the business with the most perfect sang froid, but on his way to the field he whimsically intimated a singular alarm. Having descended a hollow, 'My Lord', said he to his second, 'you get me down well enough, but', alluding to his full size, 'should I fall, I do not know how the devil you will ever get me up again.'"
Because of his spending habits, his family estates had to be sold to pay debts. Underbank Hall
in Stockport
was sold by auction in 1823, most of the Bredbury
estate was sold in lots in 1825, the Arden Hall mansion
in 1833. He was forced to dispose of his half-pay on 10 June 1826. He later served in the Forest Troop, King's Regiment of Cheshire Yeomanry
Cavalry, as a cornet
, but resigned on 17 January 1840. He did not marry and had no children. On his death, the title went to his only brother, the Hon. Colonel Richard Arden.
He was promoted from 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....
to captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
in March 1809. He later transferred to the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot
50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot
thumb|right|250px|soldier of 50th Regiment about 1740The 50th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1755 to 1881....
, and exchanged to the half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
of the 100th Regiment of Foot
100th Regiment of Foot
100th Regiment of Foot may refer to:Regiments of the British Army:*100th Regiment of Foot , raised in 1760*100th Regiment of Foot , raised in 1780...
on 1 September 1812.
Lord Alvanley was a Regency
English Regency
The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811—when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent—and 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV on the death of his father....
buck and member of the Prince Regent
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
's circle, and was friends with Beau Brummell
Beau Brummell
Beau Brummell, born as George Bryan Brummell , was the arbiter of men's fashion in Regency England and a friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV...
. He, Brummell, Henry Mildmay, and Henry Pierrepoint were considered the prime movers of Watier's
Watier's
Watier's Club was a Gentlemen's Club established in 1807 and disbanded in 1819. It was located at 81 Piccadilly on the corner of Bolton Street in west London....
, dubbed "the Dandy
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
Club" by Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, later George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron Byron, FRS , commonly known simply as Lord Byron, was a British poet and a leading figure in the Romantic movement...
. They were also the four hosts of the July 1813 masquerade ball
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
at which the Prince Regent
Prince Regent
A prince regent is a prince who rules a monarchy as regent instead of a monarch, e.g., due to the Sovereign's incapacity or absence ....
greeted Alvanley and Pierrepoint, but then "cut" Brummell and Mildmay by snubbing them, staring them in the face but not speaking to them. Brummell then said to Alvanley, "Alvanley, who's your fat friend?" The Prince Regent was not amused; this incident was the final and most public sign that Brummell was no longer favored by "Prinny".
Alvanley continued to support Brummell, sending money to his friend during Brummell's exile in France. In 1835, Alvanley fought a duel with Morgan O'Connell
Morgan O'Connell
Morgan O'Connell , soldier, politician and son of Daniel O'Connell, the Liberator. He served in the Irish South American legion and the Austrian army. He was M.P. for Meath from 1832 until 1840 and afterwards assistant-registrar of deeds for Ireland from 1840 until 1868...
. According to a near contemporary report "[Alvanley] went through the business with the most perfect sang froid, but on his way to the field he whimsically intimated a singular alarm. Having descended a hollow, 'My Lord', said he to his second, 'you get me down well enough, but', alluding to his full size, 'should I fall, I do not know how the devil you will ever get me up again.'"
Because of his spending habits, his family estates had to be sold to pay debts. Underbank Hall
Underbank Hall
Underbank Hall is a 16th Century town house in the centre of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . The hall dates back to the 15th Century and is a Grade II* listed building. It was home of the Arden family of Bredbury until 1823 when it became a bank. A banking hall was then added to the rear...
in Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
was sold by auction in 1823, most of the Bredbury
Bredbury
Bredbury is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England, located south east of Manchester, east of Stockport and south west of Hyde...
estate was sold in lots in 1825, the Arden Hall mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in 1833. He was forced to dispose of his half-pay on 10 June 1826. He later served in the Forest Troop, King's Regiment of Cheshire Yeomanry
Cheshire Yeomanry
The Cheshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment that can trace its history back to 1797 when Sir John Fleming Leicester of Tabley raised a county regiment of light cavalry in response to the growing fears of invasion from Napoleonic France....
Cavalry, as a cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
, but resigned on 17 January 1840. He did not marry and had no children. On his death, the title went to his only brother, the Hon. Colonel Richard Arden.
Further reading
- Kelly, Ian. Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Dandy. Hodder & Stoughton, 2005.
- Lundy, Darryl. Page 560, thepeerage.com.
- British National Portrait Gallery, William Arden, 2nd Baron Alvanley (1789-1849), Soldier, Sitter in 4 portraits, retrieved 16 October 2009.