George Balfour (Liberal MP)
Encyclopedia
General Sir George Balfour KCB
(1809 - 12 March 1894) was British Army officer and a Liberal
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1872 to 1892.
Balfour was the son of the George Balfour, of Montrose. He was educated at the Addiscombe Military Academy
and became a lieutenant in the Madras Artillery in 1825. From 1832, he served with Malacca Field Force and was Staff Officer of Artillery with the Malacca Field Force from 1832 to 1833 when it was active in the capture of Chusan, Canton, and Amoy. He was adjutant of Artillery from 1833 to 1842, and A.A.G. from 1834 to 1835, He was with the Field Force in the ceded districts, and in action of Zorapore in 1839 when he became Brigade Major in India. From 1840 to 1842 he was in China with the China Force from 1840 to 1842, He was agent for captured property in China from 1841 to 1842 and receiver of public money paid by China under Treaty of Nanking
. He was consul at Shanghai from 1843 to 1846 and became captain and major in 1844. From 1849 to 1857 he was a member of Madras Military Board and fro 1852 to 1854 he was Commissioner of Public Works in Madras.
In 1854, Balfour was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and awarded the CB
. He became colonel in 1856 and was Inspector-General of Ordnance, in Madras from 1857 to 1859, member of Military Finance Commission of India from 1859 to 1860 and president of the Finance Committee and chairman of the Military. Finance Department of India from 1860 to 1862. In 1865 he was promoted to major-general and was a member of Royal Commission on Recruiting for the Army from 1866 to 1867, and assistant to the Controller-in-Chief at the War Office from 1868 to 1871. He was awarded KCB in 1870
Balfour was elected Member of Parliament
for Kincardineshire
at a by-election in 1872. He held the seat until 1892.
Balfour was promoted to lieutenant general in 1874, and to general in 1877 when he was colonel-commandant of the Royal Artillery
. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
and J.P.
for Kincardineshire.
Balfour died at the age of 84.
Balfour married in 1848, Charlotte Isabella Hume, daughter of Joseph Hume
M.P.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1809 - 12 March 1894) was British Army officer and a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1872 to 1892.
Balfour was the son of the George Balfour, of Montrose. He was educated at the Addiscombe Military Academy
Addiscombe Military Academy
The East India Company Military Seminary, colloquially known as Addiscombe Seminary, Addiscombe College, or Addiscombe Military Academy was a British military academy at Addiscombe, Surrey, in what is now the London Borough of Croydon. It was established in 1809, and closed in 1861...
and became a lieutenant in the Madras Artillery in 1825. From 1832, he served with Malacca Field Force and was Staff Officer of Artillery with the Malacca Field Force from 1832 to 1833 when it was active in the capture of Chusan, Canton, and Amoy. He was adjutant of Artillery from 1833 to 1842, and A.A.G. from 1834 to 1835, He was with the Field Force in the ceded districts, and in action of Zorapore in 1839 when he became Brigade Major in India. From 1840 to 1842 he was in China with the China Force from 1840 to 1842, He was agent for captured property in China from 1841 to 1842 and receiver of public money paid by China under Treaty of Nanking
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China...
. He was consul at Shanghai from 1843 to 1846 and became captain and major in 1844. From 1849 to 1857 he was a member of Madras Military Board and fro 1852 to 1854 he was Commissioner of Public Works in Madras.
In 1854, Balfour was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and awarded the CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. He became colonel in 1856 and was Inspector-General of Ordnance, in Madras from 1857 to 1859, member of Military Finance Commission of India from 1859 to 1860 and president of the Finance Committee and chairman of the Military. Finance Department of India from 1860 to 1862. In 1865 he was promoted to major-general and was a member of Royal Commission on Recruiting for the Army from 1866 to 1867, and assistant to the Controller-in-Chief at the War Office from 1868 to 1871. He was awarded KCB in 1870
Balfour was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Kincardineshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was represented by one Member of Parliament ....
at a by-election in 1872. He held the seat until 1892.
Balfour was promoted to lieutenant general in 1874, and to general in 1877 when he was colonel-commandant of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
and J.P.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Kincardineshire.
Balfour died at the age of 84.
Balfour married in 1848, Charlotte Isabella Hume, daughter of Joseph Hume
Joseph Hume
Joseph Hume FRS was a Scottish doctor and Radical MP, born in Montrose, Angus.-Medical career:He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and moved to India in 1797...
M.P.