WELLESLEY, Sir Arthur (1769-1852), of 11 Harley Street, Mdx.

Family and Education

b. 1 May 1769,P. Guedalla, The Duke (1931), 480 states the case against 29 Apr., which is sometimes given. 5th but 3rd surv. s. of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington [I], by Hon. Anne Hill, da. of Arthur, 1st Visct. Dungannon [I]; bro. of Hon. Henry Wellesley, Hon. Richard Colley Wellesley, 2nd Earl of Mornington [I] and William Wellesley Pole. Took name of Wellesley in lieu of Wesley, May 1798. educ. Trim diocesan sch.; Brown’s prep. sch. Chelsea; Eton 1781-4; privately at Brussels 1784-5; Angers mil. acad. 1785-6. m. 10 Apr. 1806, Hon. Catherine Sarah Dorothea Pakenham, da. of Edward Michael, 2nd Baron Longford [I], 2s. KB 28 Aug. 1804; cr. Visct. Wellington 4 Sept. 1809; Earl of Wellington 28 Feb. 1812; Mq. of Wellington 3 Oct. 1812; Duke of Wellington 11 May 1814; KG 4 Mar. 1813; GCB 2 Jan. 1815; GCH 22 Mar. 1816.

Offices Held

Ensign, 73 Ft. 1787; lt. 76 Ft. 1787, 41 Ft. 1788, 12 Drag. 1789; capt. 58 Ft. 1791, 18 Drag. 1792; a.d.c. to ld.-lt. [I] Nov. 1787 – Mar. 1793; maj. 33 Ft. 1793, lt-col. 1793 – 1806; brevet col. 1796, maj.-gen. 1802; col. 33 Ft. 1806 – 12; lt.-gen. 1808; c.-in-c. Peninsula June – Aug. 1808, c.-in-c. Portugal Apr. 1809; gen. 1811; f. m. 1813; col. R. Horse Gds. 1813 – 27, Gren. Gds. 1827 – d.; c.-in-c. Continent Mar. 1815, Oct. 1815 – Nov. 1818; col. rifle brigade 1820 – d.; c.-in-c. army Jan. – May 1827, Aug. 1827 – Jan. 1828, Aug. 1842 – d.

MP [I] 1790 – 97; gov. Seringapatam May 1799, c.-in-c. Mysore July 1799 – Feb. 1803, chief agent, S. Mahrattas and Deccan June 1803 – Feb. 1805; chief. sec. to ld. lt. [I] Apr 1807-Apr. 1809; PC 8 Apr. 1807; PC [I] 28 Apr. 1807; ld. of treasury [I] May 1807 – Apr. 1809; ambassador extraordinary to France Aug. 1814 – Jan. 1815; first plenip. Vienna Congress Jan. – Mar. 1815; jt. plenip. to treat for peace with France June – Nov. 1815, Aix la Chapelle conference Aug. – Nov. 1818; master-gen. Ordnance Dec. 1817 – Apr. 1827; plenip. Verona Congress Sept. – Nov. 1822; special ambassador to Russia, Feb. – Apr. 1826, first ld. of Treasury Jan. 1828 – Nov. 1830, Nov. – Dec. 1834; sec. of state for Home affairs Nov. – Dec. 1834, for Foreign affairs Dec. 1834 – Apr. 1835; cabinet minister without portfolio 1841–6.

Gov. Plymouth 1819 – 26; ld. lt. Hants 1820 – d.; constable of the Tower and ld. lt. Tower Hamlets 1826 – d.; ld. high constable at coronation, 1821, 1831, 1838; ld. warden, Cinque Ports Jan. 1829 – d.; master, Trinity House 1837 – d.; ranger, Hyde Park and St. James’s Park Aug. 1850 – d.

Parlimentarian

WELLESLEY, Sir Arthur (1769-1852), of 11 Harley Street, Mdx.

Main residence: 11 Harley Street, Mdx.

Notes

The latest biography is by Elizabeth Longford (2 vv. 1969, 1973); for its many predecessors see BL cat. Wellesley, Arthur.

Author

R.G.T.

Volume

Commons 1790-1820

Web Title

WELLESLEY, Sir Arthur (1769-1852)

Will

Estates

Oxford 1644

Addresses

Religion

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