Family and Education

b. 31 Dec. 1738, 1st s. of Charles, 1st Earl Cornwallis, by Hon. Elizabeth Townshend, da. of Charles, 2nd Visct. Townshend. educ. Eton 1753-4; Clare, Camb. 1755; Turin military acad. m. 14 July 1768, Jemima, da. of James Jones, sis. of Arnoldus Skelton Jones, 1s. 1da. suc. fa. 23 June 1762;  K.G. 2 June 1786;  cr. Mq. Cornwallis 8 Oct. 1792.

Offices Held

Ensign 1 Ft. Gds. 1756; capt. 85 Ft. 1759; lt.-col. 12 Ft. 1761; col. 1764; col. 33 Ft. 1766- d.; maj.-gen. 1775; lt.-gen. 1777; gen. 1793.

Ld. of the bedchamber July-Aug. 1765; chief justice in eyre south of Trent 1766-9; jt. vice-treasurer [I] 1769-70; constable of the Tower of London 1770-1784; served in America 1776-82; envoy to Prussia Aug.-Sept. 1785; gov. gen. of Bengal 1786-93; master gen. of the Ordnance 1795-1801; 1797 appointed gov. gen. of Bengal but did not go out; ld. lt. [I] 1798-1801; plenipotentiary at Amiens 1801-2; gov. gen. of Bengal 1805.

Biography

Most of the time Cornwallis was a Member of Parliament he spent on active service in Germany. As a peer he at first followed Pitt, and was one of the five peers who voted against the Declaratory Act. Although opposed to the American war he served in America, and it was his surrender at Yorktown in October 1781 which ended the war. He voted against Fox’s East India bill and supported the younger Pitt.

He died 5 Oct. 1805.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes