General Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey KB


This portrait miniature of Earl Grey, painted by Henry Bone in 1794, is in the Cleveland Museum of Art. It is based on a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

Born in October 1729 at Howick in Northumberland, he entered the army as an ensign in the 6th Foot in 1744. He served in the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745. In 1755 he exchanged to the 20th Foot and fought in the Seven Years War, being wounded at Minden. He was a Lt-Colonel in the 98th Foot in 1761, and by 1772 he was a colonel and ADC to George III. He gained a name for himself in the American War of Independence where he was a Major-General in command at the battle of Paoli. He removed the flints from the men's muskets so that no shot would be fired to spoil the element of surprise. The bayonet and sword were the only weapons allowed to be used. He was nick-named 'No-Flint Grey' after that. He commanded at the battle of Martinique in 1794 and retired in 1799. He was created Earl Grey of Howick in 1806 and died on 14th Nov 1807.

Colonel of the 28th Regiment of Foot, 4 Mar 1777 - 12 July 1787
Colonel of the 8th Light Dragoons, 13 July 1787 - 16 Mar 1789
Colonel of the 7th Dragoon Guards, 17 Mar 1789 - 4 Nov 1795
Colonel of the 20th Jamaica Light Dragoons, 4 Nov 1795 - 22 Mar 1797
reappointed as Colonel of 8th Light Dragoons, 23 Mar 1797 - 3 Sep1799
Colonel of 3rd Dragoons, 4 Sep 1799 - 17 Nov 1807


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by Stephen Luscombe