Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond
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Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox KG (9 December 1764 – August 28, 1819) was a British soldier and politician and Governor General of British North America. He was born at Gordon Castle, near Thirsk, Scotland and died near Perth, Ontario, Canada. His father was General Lord George Lennox, the younger son of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond.
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[edit] Cricket
Lennox was a keen cricketer. He was an accomplished right-hand bat and a noted wicket-keeper. He was a founder member of the Marylebone Cricket Club. In 1786, together with the Earl of Winchilsea, Lennox offered Thomas Lord a guarantee against any losses Lord might suffer on starting a new cricket ground. This led to Lord opening his first cricket ground in 1787. Although Lord's Cricket Ground has since moved twice, Lennox' and Winchilsea's guarantee provided the genesis of the best-known cricket ground in the world, a ground known as the Home of Cricket.
Nearly always listed as the Hon. Colonel Charles Lennox in contemporary scorecards, Lennox had 55 recorded first-class appearances from 1784 to 1800 and played a few more games after that.
[edit] Army captain
Lennox became an army captain in 35th Regiment of Foot at the age of 23 in 1787. In 1789 he was involved in a duel with Frederick, Duke of York, who had accused him of ungentlemanly behaviour. A few months later he was involved in another duel, and later in the year he married Lady Charlotte Gordon, daughter of the 4th Duke of Gordon. In 1794 and 1795 he participated in naval engagements against the French in the West Indies and Gibraltar, but was sent home when he came into conflict with his superiors. He was also MP for Sussex, succeeding his father, from 1790 until he succeeded to the dukedom.
[edit] Family
He had fourteen children:
- Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond (1791–1860)
- Lady Mary Lennox (c. 1792 – December 7, 1847), married Sir Charles Fitzroy and had issue
- Lt.-Col. Lord John George Lennox (October 3, 1793 – November 10, 1873), married Louisa Rodney and had issue
- Sarah Lennox (c. 1794 – September 8, 1873), married Peregrine Maitland
- Lady Georgiana Lennox (September 30, 1795 – December 15, 1891), married William FitzGerald-de Ros, 23rd Baron de Ros and had issue
- Lord Henry Adam Lennox (September 6, 1797 – 1812), fell overboard from HMS Blake and drowned
- Lord William Pitt Lennox (September 20, 1799 – February 18, 1881), married first Mary Anne Paton and second Ellen Smith; had issue by the second
- Lady Jane Lennox (c. 1800 – March 27, 1861), married Laurence Peel and had issue
- Captain Lord Frederick Lennox (January 24, 1801 – October 25, 1829)
- Lord Sussex Lennox (June 11, 1802 – April 12, 1874), married Hon. Mary Lawless and had issue
- Louisa Maddelena Lennox (October 2, 1803 – March 2, 1900), married Rt. Hon. William Tighe, died without issue
- Charlotte Lennox (c. 1804 – August 20, 1833), married Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge of Bristol and had issue
- Lt.-Col. Lord Arthur Lennox (October 2, 1806 – January 15, 1864), married Adelaide Campbell and had issue
- Sophia Georgiana Lennox (July 21, 1809 – January 17, 1902), married Lord Thomas Cecil, died without issue
[edit] Duke
He became the 4th Duke of Richmond on December 29, 1806, after the death of his uncle, Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond. In April 1807 he became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He remained in that post until 1813, with Arthur Wellesley (the later Duke of Wellington) as his secretary. He participated in the Napoleonic Wars and in 1815 he was in command of a reserve force in Brussels, which was protecting that city in case Napoleon won the Battle of Waterloo. On June 15, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras, he held a ball for his fellow officers. Although he observed the battle the next day, as well as Waterloo on June 18, he did not participate in either.
[edit] Governor General of Canada
In 1818 he was appointed Governor General of Upper Canada. While visiting the territory in 1819, he was bitten by a pet fox, and died of rabies on August 28 of that year. His title was inherited by his son, Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond.
See also: List of Governors General of Canada
[edit] After death
The towns of Richmond, Ontario and Richmond, Quebec were named after him after his death. According to tradition, the town of Richmond Hill, Ontario was also named after him, as he was said to have passed through the then village during his visit in 1819.
[edit] References
- thePeerage.com
- Genealogics - Leo van de Pas
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Biography at Virtual American Biographies
- Lord's 1787-1945 by Sir Pelham Warner ISBN 1-85145-112-9
- Cricket Archive page on Charles Lennox
- Cricinfo page on Charles Lennox
[edit] Cricket References
- Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians - various publications
- Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket by G B Buckley (FL18)
- Fresh Light on Pre-Victorian Cricket by G B Buckley (FLPV)
- Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 by Arthur Haygarth (SBnnn)
- The Dawn of Cricket by H T Waghorn (WDC)
Lieutenant-Governors of Quebec | |||
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Post-Confederation (1867-present)
Belleau | Caron | Saint-Just | Robitaille | Masson | Angers | Chapleau | Jetté | Pelletier | Langelier | Leblanc | Fitzpatrick | Brodeur | Pérodeau | Gouin | Carroll | Patenaude | Fiset | Fauteux | Gagnon | Comtois | Lapointe | Côté | Lamontagne | Asselin | Roux | Thibault Province of Canada (1841-1866) Clitherow | Jackson | Bagot | Fernhill | Cathcart | Elgin | Head | Monck Lower Canada (1791-1841) Prescott | Milnes | Dunn | Craig | Prevost | Drummond | Wilson | Sherbrooke | Richmond | Dalhousie | Aylmer | Gosford | Colborne | Durham | Sydenham |
Parliament of Great Britain | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Lord George Henry Lennox Lord Pelham of Stanmer |
Member for Sussex with Lord Pelham of Stanmer 1790–1801 |
Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain |
Member for Sussex with Lord Pelham of Stanmer 1801 John Fuller 1801–1806 1801–1806 |
Succeeded by John Fuller Charles William Wyndham |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by The Duke of Bedford |
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1807–1813 |
Succeeded by The Viscount Whitworth |
Preceded by Sir John Coape Sherbrooke |
Governor General of British North America 1818–1819 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Dalhousie |
Honorary Titles | ||
Preceded by The Duke of Norfolk |
Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1816–1819 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Egremont |
Peerage of Scotland | ||
Preceded by Charles Lennox |
Duke of Richmond and Lennox 1806–1819 |
Succeeded by Charles Lennox |
Categories: Governors of British North America | Lords Lieutenant of Ireland | Dukes of Richmond | Dukes of Lennox | Knights of the Garter | 1764 births | 1819 deaths | English cricketers | English cricketers of the 18th century | English cricketers of 1787 to 1815 | English wicket-keepers | MCC cricketers | Surrey cricketers | Governors General of Canada | Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies | British Army officers | UK MPs 1801-1802 | UK MPs 1802-1806