George Anson (1797–1857)

Major-General the Hon. George Anson CB (October 13 1797 – May 27 1857) was a British military officer and Whig politician.

Anson was the second son of Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson, and his wife Anne Margaret, daughter of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham Hall, Norfolk. Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield was his elder brother. He served at an early age in the Napoleonic Wars and fought at the Battle of Waterloo. He later sat as Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth from 1818 to 1835 and for Staffordshire South from 1837 to 1853 and served as Storekeeper of the Ordnance under Lord Melbourne from 1835 to 1841 and as Clerk of the Ordnance under Melbourne in 1841 and under Lord John Russell from 1846 to 1852.

Anson succeeded to the command of the Army of the Madras Presidency in India in 1854, and early in 1856 became Commander-in-Chief in India. He was Colonel of the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot from December 12 1856. He died of cholera, at the age of 59, during his march against the Indian rebels during the of Siege of Delhi in May 1857 and was buried in Kurnaul (now Karnal). The body was later exhumed and taken back to England where it lies now.

Anson married the Hon. Isabella Elizabeth Annabella, daughter of Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester, in 1830. They had three daughters. Isabella survived her husband by only a year and died in December 1858.

Famous British Olympian Sir Matthew Pinsent is George's great great great grandson [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/get_started/wdytya_s4_celeb_gallery_07.shtml Who do you think you are - BBC Television] ] .

References

* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/ www.thepeerage.com]