Major-General Lord George William Russell GCB (8 May 1790 – 16 July 1846) was a British soldier, politician and diplomat. He was the second son of the 6th Duke of Bedford and brother to John Russell, the Whig and Liberal Prime Minister. Among his children were Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford, Arthur Russell, MP and diplomat Odo Russell.

Major-General
Lord Sir George Russell
British Minister to Prussia
In office
1835–1841
Preceded bySir George Shee, Bt
Succeeded byLord Burghersh
British Minister to Württemberg
In office
1833–1835
Serving with Sir George Shee, Bt
Preceded byEdward Cromwell Disbrowe
Member of Parliament for Bedford
In office
1812–1830
Preceded bySamuel Whitbread
William Lee-Antonie
Succeeded byWilliam Henry Whitbread
Frederick Polhill
Personal details
Born(1790-05-08)8 May 1790
Died16 July 1846(1846-07-16) (aged 56)
Genoa, Kingdom of Sardinia
Spouse
(m. 1817; died 1846)
RelationsJohn Russell, 1st Earl Russell (brother)
ParentJohn Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford

Early life

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Russell was born on 8 May 1790.[1] He was the second son of the John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford by his first wife, Hon. Georgiana Byng, daughter of George Byng, 4th Viscount Torrington. Among his siblings were John Russell, the Whig and Liberal Prime Minister.[2]

He was educated by Dr. Moore at Sunbury, at Westminster School, and by the Rev. John Smith at Woodnesborough.[2]

Career

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The Trial of Queen Caroline 1820 by Sir George Hayter

Upon gaining the rank of lieutenant in the 1st Dragoon Guards, Russell was appointed aide-de-camp (ADC) to Sir George Ludlow on his Copenhagen Expedition in 1807. During the Peninsular War he fought in the Battle of Talavera on 27 July 1809 where he was wounded. He was then ADC to General Thomas Graham in 1810 and fought at the Battle of Barossa in 1811. He was ADC to Viscount Wellington (later the Duke of Wellington) in 1812 and again in 1817, when the Duke was Ambassador in Paris.[2]

As the brother of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Lord John Russell, he sat as Member of Parliament for Bedford from 1812 until 1830. He was invested as a Companion, Order of the Bath (CB) in 1831. He held the office of Minister to Lisbon in August 1833, the office of Minister to Württemberg in November 1833 and the office of Ambassador to Berlin in 1835. He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1838 and gained the rank of major-general in November 1841.[2]

Personal life

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On 21 June 1817, Russell married Elizabeth Anne Rawdon (1793–1874), the daughter of Frances (née Hall-Stevenson) and Capt. the Hon. John Theophilus Rawdon of Bolney Court, the brother of Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings. Her maternal grandparents were John Rawdon, 1st Earl of Moira and Elizabeth Rawdon, Countess of Moira.[2] The couple were the parents of:[3]

Lord George died in Genoa on 16 July 1846.[2]

References

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  1. ^ G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 126.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Fisher, David R. "RUSSELL, Lord George William (1790-1846)". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003 volume 1, page 320.
  4. ^ Reynolds, K. D. (2020). "Russell [née Rawdon], Elizabeth Anne [known as Lady William Russell] (1793–1874), hostess". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000380152. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 23 December 2020.

Bibliography

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Bedford
18121830
With: Samuel Whitbread 1812–1815,
Hon. William Waldegrave 1815–1818,
William Henry Whitbread 1818–1830
Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British Minister to Württemberg
1833–1835
Succeeded by
Preceded by British Minister to Prussia
1835–1841
Succeeded by