William FitzGerald-de Ros, 23rd Baron de Ros
Encyclopedia
General
William Lennox Lascelles FitzGerald-de Ros, 23rd Baron de Ros of Helmsley, PC, DL
(1 September 1797 – 6 January 1874), was a British soldier and Conservative
politician. A general in the Army, he also held political office as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
in 1852 and between 1858 and 1859.
, Surrey
, the third son of Lord Henry FitzGerald
, fourth son of James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
and Lady Emily Lennox
. His mother was Charlotte FitzGerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros
, while Henry FitzGerald-de Ros, 22nd Baron de Ros
, was his elder brother. Through his paternal grandmother he was a descendant of King Charles II
.
as a cornet
on 29 March 1819. He subsequently became a lieutenant
on 24 August 1821, a captain
on 23 October 1824, a major
on 5 June 1827 and a lieutenant-colonel on 8 September 1831. In July 1835, de Ros and the Earl of Durham
travelled to the Black Sea
for half a year to investigate Russian military preparations. He was appointed a Gentleman Usher
Quarter Waiter to Queen Victoria in 1836, but had surrendered the post by 1839, when he inherited the barony of de Ros
on the death of his eldest brother (a middle brother, Arthur, had predeceased them). He became a colonel
on 9 November 1846, and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
of the Tower of London
on 13 February 1852.
Lord de Ros served as Quartermaster-General for the British Army in Turkey during the Crimean War
between April and July 1854, being promoted major-general on 20 June 1854. Due to a severe attack of fever in July, perhaps brought on by his then-eccentric devotion to sunbathing, he was forced to return home as the army embarked for the Crimea
. He was promoted lieutenant-general on 12 March 1861, appointed colonel of the 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars
on 6 February 1865, and promoted general
on 10 November 1868.
in the Earl of Derby
's first administration
, and sworn of the Privy Council. The government fell already in December 1852, but when Derby returned to office in February 1858, de Ros was once again made Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. He continued in this post until Derby resigned in June 1859.
, 30 September 1795 - London
, 15 December 1891), daughter of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond
, in London
on 7 June 1824. They had three children:
Lord de Ros died at Old Court, Strangford
, County Down
, in January 1874, aged 76, and was succeeded in the barony by his only son, Dudley. Lady de Ros died in London
in December 1891, aged 96.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
William Lennox Lascelles FitzGerald-de Ros, 23rd Baron de Ros of Helmsley, PC, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(1 September 1797 – 6 January 1874), was a British soldier and 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. A general in the Army, he also held political office as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
The Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a UK government post usually held by the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords...
in 1852 and between 1858 and 1859.
Background
Fitzgerald-de Ros was born at Thames DittonThames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
, 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...
, the third son of Lord Henry FitzGerald
Lord Henry FitzGerald
Lord Henry FitzGerald PC was the fourth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster . A younger brother was the revolutionary Lord Edward FitzGerald.-Life:...
, fourth son of James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, etc. PC , styled Lord Offaly until 1744 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1744 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 1766, was an Irish nobleman, soldier and politician.-Background:Leinster was the son of Robert...
and Lady Emily Lennox
Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster
Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster , known before 1747 as Lady Emily Lennox, from 1747 to 1761 as The Countess of Kildare and from 1761 to 1766 as The Marchioness of Kildare, was the second of the famous Lennox sisters, daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, and illegitimately...
. His mother was Charlotte FitzGerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros
Charlotte FitzGerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros
Charlotte Fitzgerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros of Helmsley , also known as Lady Henry FitzGerald, was born Charlotte Boyle-Walsingham in Castlemartyr, County Cork, Ireland or in London, where she died....
, while Henry FitzGerald-de Ros, 22nd Baron de Ros
Henry FitzGerald-de Ros, 22nd Baron de Ros
Henry William FitzGerald-de Ros, 22nd Baron de Ros was a British nobleman, the son of Lord Henry FitzGerald and his wife Charlotte FitzGerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros....
, was his elder brother. Through his paternal grandmother he was a descendant of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
.
Military career
As a younger son, de Ros embarked upon a military career, joining the Life GuardsLife Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
as a cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
on 29 March 1819. He subsequently became a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 24 August 1821, 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...
on 23 October 1824, a 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. ...
on 5 June 1827 and a lieutenant-colonel on 8 September 1831. In July 1835, de Ros and the Earl of Durham
John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham
John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham GCB, PC , also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America...
travelled to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
for half a year to investigate Russian military preparations. He was appointed a Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher is a title for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. See List of Gentlemen Ushers for a list of office-holders.-Historical:...
Quarter Waiter to Queen Victoria in 1836, but had surrendered the post by 1839, when he inherited the barony of de Ros
Baron de Ros
The title of Baron de Ros of Helmsley is the most ancient baronial title in the Peerage of England. The title of Baron de Ros of Helmsley is the most ancient baronial title in the Peerage of England. The title of Baron de Ros of Helmsley is the most ancient baronial title in the Peerage of England....
on the death of his eldest brother (a middle brother, Arthur, had predeceased them). He became a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on 9 November 1846, and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
on 13 February 1852.
Lord de Ros served as Quartermaster-General for the British Army in Turkey during the Crimean War
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...
between April and July 1854, being promoted major-general on 20 June 1854. Due to a severe attack of fever in July, perhaps brought on by his then-eccentric devotion to sunbathing, he was forced to return home as the army embarked for the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. He was promoted lieutenant-general on 12 March 1861, appointed colonel of the 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars
4th Queen's Own Hussars
The 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958....
on 6 February 1865, and promoted general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
on 10 November 1868.
Political career
In February 1852 Lord de Ros was appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardCaptain of the Yeomen of the Guard
The Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a UK government post usually held by the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords...
in the Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
's first administration
Conservative Government 1852
After the fall of Lord John Russell's Whig government in early 1852, the Tory leader Lord Derby formed a government. The Conservatives had been weakened by the defection of the Peelites, and many of the new Cabinet ministers were men of little experience. The government became known as the Who?...
, and sworn of the Privy Council. The government fell already in December 1852, but when Derby returned to office in February 1858, de Ros was once again made Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. He continued in this post until Derby resigned in June 1859.
Family
Lord de Ros married Lady Georgiana Lennox (Molecombe, SussexSussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, 30 September 1795 - 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...
, 15 December 1891), daughter of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond
Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond
Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox KG, PC was a British soldier and politician and Governor General of British North America.-Background:...
, in 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...
on 7 June 1824. They had three children:
- Dudley FitzGerald-de Ros, 24th Baron de RosDudley FitzGerald-de Ros, 24th Baron de RosLieutenant-General Dudley Charles FitzGerald-de Ros, 24th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KP, KCVO was the son of William FitzGerald-de Ros and Lady Georgiana Lennox. He was born in Brighton....
(1827–1907). - Hon. Frances Charlotte FitzGerald-de Ros (c. 1830 – 21 February 1851), unmarried and without issue.
- Hon. Blanche Arthur Georgina FitzGerald-de Ros (1832 – 10 March 1910), married on 11 July 1865 James Rannie Swinton (see Clan SwintonClan SwintonClan Swinton is a Lowland Scottish clan and founder of Clan Gordon, Clan Elphinstone, Clan Arbuthnott, Clan Nisbet and the Greystoke Family. Being a Border family, they were prominent Border Reivers.-Origins:...
) (died December 1888).
Lord de Ros died at Old Court, Strangford
Strangford
Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 people at the 2001 Census.On the other side of the lough is Portaferry and there is a ferry service between the two villages...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, in January 1874, aged 76, and was succeeded in the barony by his only son, Dudley. Lady de Ros died in 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...
in December 1891, aged 96.