Cuthbert Ellison (British Army officer)

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This article is about the British Army general. For the Newcastle politician, see Cuthbert Ellison (Newcastle MP).
General

Cuthbert Ellison
Portrait of Ellison by an unknown artist
Born10 May 1698
Died11 October 1785
AllegianceKingdom of Great Britain
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of servicec.1723–1785
RankGeneral
Battles/wars
Other workMember of Parliament for Shaftesbury

General Cuthbert Ellison (10 May 1698 – 11 October 1785) was a British Army officer who also served as Member of Parliament for

hypochondriac, he spent much of his retirement at Bath
and died the second most senior general in the army in 1785.

Military career

Cuthbert Ellison was born on 10 May 1698, the son of Robert Ellison (died 1726) of

major in 1731 and by 1733 was listed as a captain-major.[2][6]

Later in the same year Ellison was seconded from his regiment to serve as an

Windsor Forest, Newbury, and Marlborough.[7]

At the end of the year Ellison and his regiment were sent to mainland Europe to fight in the War of the Austrian Succession, initially staying at Bruges. They were then sent to capture Ostend and Nieuport to ensure the security of other parts of the army then travelling to join them. Having completed these tasks Ellison went in to winter quarters at Ghent, with his regiment having been severely depleted through bad weather, long marches and sickness.[10] He continued on the continent after this and saw action at the Battle of Dettingen on 27 June 1743, where the army fought to relieve French pressure on their allied forces; by October his regiment only had seven healthy officers, including himself, with which to operate.[2][11] Soon after this Ellison took up post as a deputy adjutant general to Field Marshal Lord Stair, the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.[2][11][9] Later in the year the colonel of the 23rd died of wounds he had received at Dettingen; while Ellison was his natural successor as lieutenant-colonel of the regiment, his position as adjutant-general meant he was bypassed because his duties were seen as too important.[2][12] By this point Ellison also held a commission as lieutenant-colonel of the 6th Dragoons, dated from 19 April, and his exact regimental position after Dettingen is unsure.[2][13]

Ellison returned home from the continent in the summer of 1744 to recover at

hypochondriac, he attributed these difficulties to his weak constitution.[2][11][9] In response to this and his difficulties in obtaining promotion, Ellison attempted to retire from the army but was not allowed to, his previous dealings with the king having given George such a positive opinion of Ellison that he refused to let him go.[2][12][1] Instead Ellison chose to sell his regimental commissions in the 6th and 23rd, which he did for £3,500 to Sir John Whitefoord on 19 March.[12][13][14]

Post-regimental life

Ellison was then promoted to colonel and served as adjutant-general on the staff of the Duke of Cumberland during the Jacobite rising of 1745, despite holding no regimental rank and receiving no pay for his efforts.[2][12] He was mostly employed preparing camps for the army in advance of its arrival, by 7 December being situated at Coventry.[15] The rebellion was Ellison's last active service with the army, and after this he was nominated to run in the election for the parliamentary seat of Shaftesbury. Despite expecting the election to be "dubious, troublesome and very expensive", in 1747 Ellison succeeded in winning it under the patronage of Lord Ilchester. He served in parliament until the 1754 general election when he chose not to stand again.[2]

Despite no longer serving actively in the army, his appointment as a staff officer after selling his lieutenant-colonelcy meant that Ellison was still listed as an officer, and through seniority he was promoted to

lieutenant-general in 1759 under the express orders of George II, but Ellison found little interest in his promotion, writing that "the rank is of consequence to an able and healthful man but 'tis none to me who have been fitter for an hospital than the field". Continuing his hypochondriac ways, Ellison spent much of his retirement at Bath in the expectation that he would be brought down with gout, while also maintaining a house in London.[2][16][1] He was promoted to general in 1772 and died on 11 October 1785, unmarried, at the time being the second most senior general in the army.[2][3] Over 200 of Ellison's letters from throughout his life are preserved in Gateshead Public Library.[1]

Notes and citations

Notes

  1. ^ His father's name is also recorded as Henry.[1]
  2. 44th Regiment of Foot in 1755.[4][5]
  3. ^ Ellison hardly ever visited Hebburn, preferring the socials hubs of the army and London, and gave the running of the estate over to his younger brother Henry.[1]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Hayes (1962), p. 150.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Lea (1970).
  3. ^ a b Monthly Chronicle (1890), p. 341.
  4. ^ Hughes (1952), p. 8.
  5. ^ a b Hayes (1962), p. 151.
  6. ^ a b c d Hughes (1952), p. 83.
  7. ^ a b c Hughes (1952), p. 84.
  8. ^ Hayes (1962), p. 155.
  9. ^ a b c Hayes (1962), p. 156.
  10. ^ Hughes (1952), p. 85.
  11. ^ a b c Hughes (1952), p. 86.
  12. ^ a b c d Hughes (1952), p. 87.
  13. ^ a b Cannon (1847), p. 96.
  14. ^ Holmes (2011), p. 139.
  15. ^ Black (1990), pp. 116–117.
  16. ^ Hughes (1952), p. 88.

References

  • Black, Jeremy (1990). Culloden and the '45. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing.
    ISBN 0-312-10326-3
    .
  • Cannon, Richard (1847). Historical Record of the Sixth, or Inniskilling Regiment, of Dragoons. London: Parker, Furnivall, & Parker.
  • Hayes, James (September 1962). "Two Soldier Brothers of the Eighteenth Century". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 40 (163): 150–161.
  • ISBN 978-0-00-722569-9
    .
  • Hughes, Edward (1952). North Country Life in the Eighteenth Century: The North-East, 1700–1750. London: Oxford University Press.
  • Lea, R. S. (1970). "ELLISON, Cuthbert". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  • The Monthly Chronicle of North-Country Lore and Legend. Vol. 4. Newcastle-on-Tyne: Walter Scott. 1890.
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury
1747–1754
With: George Pitt
William Beckford
 Succeeded by
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