Biography of Charles Wellesley 1808-1858

Paternal Family Tree: Colley

On 10th April 1806 [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 36) and [his mother] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington (age 33) were married at Dublin [Map]. He the son of [his grandfather] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and [his grandmother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington (age 63).

On 16th January 1808 Charles Wellesley was born to [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 38) and [his mother] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington (age 35).

Battle of Talavera

                    Between 27th July 1809 and 28th July 1809 the Battle of Talavera, part of the Peninsular War, was fought between an Anglo Spanish army commanded by [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 40) against the French. The French army withdrew at night after several of its attacks had been repulsed. Following the battle Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington was created 1st Viscount Wellington of Talavera.
                
                    Hugh Gough 1st Viscount Gough (age 29) commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot.
                
                    General Henry Fane (age 30) commanded the 3rd Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards, 4th Queen's Own Dragoons.
                
                    Charles Henry Farrington 2nd Baronet (age 14) fought.

Battle of Salamanca

On 22nd July 1812 the Battle of Salamanca was fought at which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the [his father] Earl of Wellington (age 43) defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles [Map].

Brother General Thomas Bradford (age 34) and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Hollis Bradford (age 31) fought.

Major-General John Le Marchant (age 46) was killed in action. Wellington is reported as saying to Le Marchant that he must take the first favourable opportunity to engage the enemy's infantry, "You must then charge at all hazards" was his final instruction. Following up the attack of the 5th Infantry Division Le Marchant led the 3rd and 4th Dragoons and the 5th Dragoon Guards in what was probably the most destructive charge made by a single brigade of cavalry in the whole Napoleonic period. The left wing of the French army were on the point of being defeated by the 3rd and 5th divisions of Anglo-Portuguese infantry when Le Marchant's dragoons charged in and destroyed battalion after battalion. Many of the French infantrymen sought the protection of the British infantry to escape the sabres of the dragoons. Le Marchant, knowing he had achieved a magnificent success, was leading a squadron against the last of the formed French infantry when he was shot and his spine broken. See Fletcher's "Galloping at Everything: The British Cavalry in the Peninsula and at Waterloo 1808-15". Spellmount, Staplehurst. ISBN 1-86227-016-3. 1999, pp. 185–188.

In 1813 [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 43) was appointed 640th Knight of the Garter by King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland (age 50) during the Regency.

On 11th May 1814 [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 45) was created 1st Duke Wellington. [his mother] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington (age 41) by marriage Duchess Wellington.

Around 1818 Charles Wellesley (age 9) educated at Eton College [Map].

On 29th June 1822 Henry Somerset 7th Duke Beaufort (age 30) and Emily Frances Smith Duchess Beaufort (age 22) were married. She being the younger half-sister of his first wife Georgiana Frederica Fitzroy both of whom's mother was [his aunt] Anne Wellesley (age 54) sister of [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 53). An example of a man marrying two sisters, albeit in this case half-sisters. He the son of Henry Charles Somerset 6th Duke Beaufort (age 55) and Charlotte Sophia Leveson-Gower Duchess Beaufort (age 51).

On 24th April 1831 [his mother] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington (age 58) died.

In 1839 [his brother] Arthur Wellesley 2nd Duke Wellington (age 31) and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Hay Duchess Wellington (age 18) were married. She the daughter of George Hay 8th Marquess Tweedale (age 51) and Susan Montagu Marchioness Teviotdale (age 38). He the son of [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 69) and [his mother] Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington.

In 1842 Charles Wellesley (age 33) was elected MP South Hampshire.

On 9th July 1844 Charles Wellesley (age 36) and Augusta Sophia Anne Pierrepoint were married. He the son of Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 75) and Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham Duchess Wellington.

On 5th April 1846 [his son] Henry Wellesley 3rd Duke Wellington was born to Charles Wellesley (age 38) and [his wife] Augusta Sophia Anne Pierrepoint at Apsley House, Hyde Park Corner. He married 7th March 1882 Evelyn Katrine Gwenfra Williams Duchess Wellington.

On 15th March 1849 [his son] Arthur Charles Wellesley 4th Duke Wellington was born to Charles Wellesley (age 41) and [his wife] Augusta Sophia Anne Pierrepoint. He married 24th October 1872 Kathleen Emily Bulkeley Williams Duchess Wellington and had issue.

In 1852 Charles Wellesley (age 43) was elected MP Windsor.

On 14th September 1852 [his father] Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Wellington (age 83) died at Deal Castle [Map]. His son [his brother] Arthur (age 45) succeeded 2nd Duke Wellington, 2nd Viscount Wellington of Talavera. [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Hay Duchess Wellington (age 31) by marriage Duchess Wellington.

George Gammon Adams (age 31) took the death mask of the Duke of Wellington, the marble bust he executed from it being highly regarded by the Duke's heirs.

On 9th October 1858 Charles Wellesley (age 50) died.