Robert Manners (1758–1823)
Encyclopedia
Robert Manners was a British soldier and Member of Parliament.
He was the eldest son of General Lord Robert Manners by his wife Mary Digges, and succeeded to his father's estate at Bloxholm
in Lincolnshire
. He was educated at Caen
and took the Grand Tour
.
He joined the Army
as a Cornet
in the 3rd Dragoons in 1778, and became a Captain
in the 86th Foot
in 1779 and a Major in the 80th Foot on 28 December 1782. On 19 March 1783 he was made an equerry
to the King
and on 24 April 1784 was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in the 1st Battalion 84th Regiment of Foot
. In the general election of that year
he was elected to Parliament for Great Bedwyn
through the influence of Lord Ailesbury
, the expenses of the election (£2500, or the equivalent of £ today) being paid by George Rose
out of Government secret funds. After a period on half-pay
, he joined the 3rd Foot Guards as Captain-Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Colonel on 24 February 1787. He was considered as a replacement for Sir Henry Peyton, MP for Cambridgeshire
, on that gentleman's death in 1789, but left Parliament at the general election in 1790
.
He returned to Parliament in a by-election for Cambridge
on 12 February 1791, and was promoted to Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel in the 3rd Foot Guards that year. He became a Colonel in the Army in 1794, a Major-General
in 1796, Colonel-Commandant of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Regiment of Foot
on 10 August 1799 then Colonel of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
on 12 November. On 6 January 1801 he was made Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal to the King, and was promoted to Lieutenant-General on 1 October 1803. After the establishment of the Regency, he was appointed Clerk Marshal in the King's Household at Windsor on 19 February 1812 and was promoted to full General
in 1813. He retired from Parliament at the 1820 general election
.
General Manners continued as Colonel of the 30th Foot until his death. He was unmarried, but left issue by Mary Ann Goodchild (1780–1854). His elder sister Mary married William Hamilton Nisbet
and was the mother of Mary Nisbet
, first wife of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
.
He was the eldest son of General Lord Robert Manners by his wife Mary Digges, and succeeded to his father's estate at Bloxholm
Bloxholm
Bloxholm is a hamlet, and part of the civil parish of Ashby de la Launde and Bloxholm, in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies 1 mile south-west of the village of Digby.In Bloxholm there is a semi-ruined Hall....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. He was educated at Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
and took the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
.
He joined the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as a Cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
in the 3rd Dragoons in 1778, and became a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the 86th Foot
86th Regiment of Foot (Rutland Regiment)
The 86th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment raised for service in the American Revolutionary War.It was raised in England in July, 1779. It was sent to the Leeward Islands in January, 1780. Five companies stationed on Tobago were captured June, 1781.The regiment returned to England and was...
in 1779 and a Major in the 80th Foot on 28 December 1782. On 19 March 1783 he was made an equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to the King
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
and on 24 April 1784 was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in the 1st Battalion 84th Regiment of Foot
84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
The 84th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries...
. In the general election of that year
British general election, 1784
The British general election of 1784 resulted in William Pitt the Younger securing an overall majority of about 120 in the House of Commons of Great Britain, having previously had to survive in a House which was dominated by his opponents.-Background:...
he was elected to Parliament for Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn (UK Parliament constituency)
Great Bedwyn was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-1295–1640:-1640–1832:Notes...
through the influence of Lord Ailesbury
Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury
Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury KT . The son of George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan and Hon. Elizabeth Bruce, he succeeded his uncle as 2nd Baron Bruce of Tottenham on the latter's death on 10 February 1747. He changed his name Brudenell by Royal license to Brudenell-Bruce...
, the expenses of the election (£2500, or the equivalent of £ today) being paid by George Rose
George Rose
The Right Honourable George Rose was a British politician.Born at Woodside near Brechin, Scotland, Rose was the son of the Reverend David Rose of Lethnot, by Margaret, daughter of Donald Rose of Wester Clune...
out of Government secret funds. After a period on half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
, he joined the 3rd Foot Guards as Captain-Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Colonel on 24 February 1787. He was considered as a replacement for Sir Henry Peyton, MP for Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridgeshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Knights...
, on that gentleman's death in 1789, but left Parliament at the general election in 1790
British general election, 1790
The British general election, 1790 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Political Situation:...
.
He returned to Parliament in a by-election for Cambridge
Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridge is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
on 12 February 1791, and was promoted to Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel in the 3rd Foot Guards that year. He became a Colonel in the Army in 1794, a Major-General
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
in 1796, Colonel-Commandant of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Regiment of Foot
9th Regiment of Foot
The 9th Regiment of Foot was a infantry line regiment of the British Army from 1751 to 1881. It became the Norfolk Regiment following the Army reforms of 1881.-Early history:...
on 10 August 1799 then Colonel of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
The 30th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1702 and amalgamated into The East Lancashire Regiment in 1881.-Predecessor regiment:...
on 12 November. On 6 January 1801 he was made Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal to the King, and was promoted to Lieutenant-General on 1 October 1803. After the establishment of the Regency, he was appointed Clerk Marshal in the King's Household at Windsor on 19 February 1812 and was promoted to full General
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
in 1813. He retired from Parliament at the 1820 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1820
The 1820 UK general election, held shortly after the Radical War in Scotland and the Cato Street Conspiracy. In this atmosphere, the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool were able to win a substantial majority over the Whigs....
.
General Manners continued as Colonel of the 30th Foot until his death. He was unmarried, but left issue by Mary Ann Goodchild (1780–1854). His elder sister Mary married William Hamilton Nisbet
William Hamilton Nisbet
William Hamilton Nisbet was a British politician.On 31 January 1777, he married Mary Manners, daughter of Lord Robert Manners. They had one child:...
and was the mother of Mary Nisbet
Mary Nisbet
Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin was the first wife of British diplomat Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin during his term as Ambassador Extraodinare to the Ottoman Empire and one of the most influential and wealthiest heiresses of the late 18th and early 19th century.-Early life:Mary Hamilton Nisbet...
, first wife of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine was a Scottish nobleman and diplomat, known for the removal of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. Elgin was the second son of Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin and his wife Martha Whyte...
.