Lord Charles FitzRoy (British Army officer) facts for kids

General Lord Charles FitzRoy (born July 17, 1764 – died December 20, 1829) was an important figure in British history. He was a brave officer in the British Army and also a politician. He served his country in both military and government roles.

Early Life and Education

Lord Charles FitzRoy was born on July 17, 1764. His father was Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, a very important person at the time. His mother was Anne Liddell.

Charles went to a famous school called Harrow School. After that, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, which is a well-known university. In 1782, he decided to join the army. He started as an ensign, which is a junior officer rank.

Military Career

Lord Charles FitzRoy had a long and successful career in the army.

• In 1787, he became a captain in the Scots Guards.
• A year later, in 1788, he became an equerry to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. An equerry is an officer who helps a royal family member.
• He served alongside Prince Frederick in Flanders from 1793 to 1794.

In 1795, King George III made FitzRoy his aide-de-camp. This meant he was a personal assistant to the King. At this time, he also became a colonel. He was promoted to major-general in 1798.

• From 1798 to 1799, he served in Ireland.
• He then served in England until 1809.
• He commanded a group of soldiers from the 60th Regiment of Foot between 1804 and 1805.
• In 1805, he became the colonel of the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot and was promoted to lieutenant-general.
• Finally, in 1814, he reached the highest rank of general.

Political Life

Besides his military career, Lord Charles FitzRoy was also a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent an area in the country's government. He represented the area of Bury St Edmunds.

• He was an MP from 1787 to 1796.
• He served again from 1802 to 1818.

Even though he was an MP for many years, he never actually gave a speech in the House of Commons. He supported William Pitt the Younger, who was a very important Prime Minister. FitzRoy also believed in two important ideas:

• Abolitionism: This was the movement to end slavery.
• Catholic Emancipation: This was about giving Roman Catholics more rights and freedoms in Britain.

Family Life

Lord Charles FitzRoy was married twice and had several children.

First Marriage

On June 20, 1795, he married Frances Mundy. She was the daughter of another MP, Edward Miller Mundy. Sadly, Frances passed away in 1797. They had one son together:

• Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy (1796–1858): He became a very important person himself. He served as a governor of New South Wales in Australia, and also as governor of Prince Edward Island and Antigua. He married Lady Mary Lennox in 1820. After she died, he married Margaret Gordon in 1855.

Second Marriage

After Frances died, Lord Charles FitzRoy married Lady Frances Stewart on March 10, 1799. Lady Frances was the eldest daughter of Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry. They had four children before Lady Frances passed away in 1810:

• George FitzRoy (1800–1882): He also became an officer in the British Army. He married Louisa Harris in 1830 and later Hon. Charlotte Frances Bona Spencer in 1873.
• Frances FitzRoy (around 1802–1878): She married George Rice-Trevor, 4th Baron Dynevor.
• Robert FitzRoy (1805–1865): He was a famous hydrographer. This means he studied and mapped oceans and seas. He married Mary Henrietta O'Brien in 1836 and later Maria Isabella Smyth in 1854.
• Emily Elizabeth FitzRoy (1808–1827): She was their youngest daughter and sadly passed away at the age of 20.

Lord Charles FitzRoy died at his home in Berkeley Square, London, in 1829. He was buried in Wicken, Northamptonshire.

Descendants

Through his son Robert, Lord Charles FitzRoy had five grandchildren: Emily-Unah FitzRoy, Frances "Fanny" FitzRoy, Katherine FitzRoy, Robert O'Brien FitzRoy, and Laura Maria Elizabeth FitzRoy.