Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cholmondeley, George
CHOLMONDELEY, GEORGE, second Earl of Cholmondeley (d. 1733), poet and general, brother of Hugh, first earl [q. v.], was the second son of Robert Cholmondeley viscount Cholmondeley of Kells, and Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of George Cradock of Caverswall. He was educated at Westminster School and entered Christ Church, Oxford, in 1680, shortly after leaving which he became in 1685 a cornet of horse. In 1688 he joined the northern insurrectionists, who under the Earl of Devonshire assembled at Nottingham in support of the Prince of Orange ‘for the recovery of their almost ruined laws, liberties, and religion;’ and on King William's accession he was appointed one of the grooms of the bedchamber. He commanded the horse grenadier guards at the Battle of the Boyne, and also specially distinguished himself at the battle of Steinkirk. He was made brigadier-general of horse 17 June 1697. After the accession of Queen Anne he was, 1 July 1702, appointed major-general of her majesty's forces, and governor of the forts of Tilbury and Gravesend. On 1 Jan. 1703-4 he was made lieutenant-general of her majesty's horse forces. Under George I he was continued in his offices, and on 11 Feb. 1714-15 was made captain and colonel of the third troop of horse guards. On 15 March he was raised to the peerage as Bron Newborough in Wexford, Ireland, and on 2 July 1716 was created baron of Newburgh in the Isle of Anglesea. On succeeding his brother Hugh as Earl of Cholmondelet, 20 March 1724-5, he was appointed lord-lieutenant of the county and city of Chester, and custosrotulorum of the said county. He was also lord-lieutenant of Denbigh, Montgomery, Flint, Merioneth, Carnarconm and Anglesea. On 25 March 1725 he was appointed governor of the town and port of Kingston-upon-Hull, and on 15 April 1727 general of the horse. In October 1732 he was named governor of the island of Guernsey. He died at Whitehall 7 May 1733. He was the reputed author of ‘Verses and a Pastoral spoken by himself and William Savile, second son of George, earl (afterwards marquis) of Halifax, before the Duke and Duchess of York and Lady Anne, in Oxford Theatre, 21 May 1688,’ and printed in a book entitled ‘Examen Poeticum,’ by Jacob Allestry [q. v.] in 1693. According to Wood, ‘Allestry had the chief hand in making the verses and pastorals.’ Cholmondeley received the degree of D.C.L. at Oxford 1 Nov. 1695. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Heer van Baron Ruyterburgh by Anne-Elisabeth, his wife, daughter of Lewis de Nassau, seignior de Auverquerk, field-marshal of the forces of the States-General, and by her had three sons and three daughters.
[Wood's Athenæ (Bliss), if. 202, 664; Collins's Peerage, ed 1812 iv. 31-3; Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, ed. Archdall, v. 67-8; Ormerod's Cheshire; Earwaker's East Cheshire.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.65
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 271 | i | 27 | Cholmondeley, George, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley: after bedchamber insert He was M.P. for Newton 1690-5 and colonel of the 1st Horse Guards 1698-1715 |
| 16 f.e. | for 20 March read 18 Jan. |