Lord Uxbridge

Lord Uxbridge
William Salter · Public domain · source
Name	Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey
Birth date	17 May 1768
Death date	29 April 1854
Birth place	Beaudesert, Staffordshire
Death place	London
Known for	Cavalry leadership at the Battle of Waterloo
Titles	1st Earl of Uxbridge, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, Baron Paget
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain, United Kingdom
Rank	Field Marshal
Spouse	Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers
Children	Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey, Lord Clarence Paget

Lord Uxbridge was a British peer, cavalry commander, and politician prominent during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Best known for his role as second-in-command of the Anglo-Allied cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo, he combined aristocratic influence with active service in campaigns against Napoleonic France. His career spanned roles in the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and senior army commands under figures such as the Duke of Wellington and contemporaries including Arthur Wellesley and William IV.

Background and Titles

Born Henry William Paget into the Anglo-Irish Paget family at Beaudesert, Staffordshire, he inherited a lineage tied to Pembrokeshire estates and Anglo-Irish peerage. He succeeded as Earl of Uxbridge after his father's death, later elevated to Marquess of Anglesey in recognition of wartime service. Paget held multiple honors including knighthoods associated with the Order of the Bath and membership in societies connected to Westminster patronage. His titles placed him among peers interacting with houses such as Windsor Castle, Althorp families, and other leading aristocrats like the Duke of Marlborough and Earl Spencer.

Early Life and Career

Educated in the context of aristocratic grand tours and military patronage, Paget associated early with figures such as Horatio Nelson and political leaders including William Pitt the Younger and Charles James Fox. He served as a Member of Parliament for constituencies influenced by families like the Marquess of Salisbury and the Earl of Dartmouth. His early commissions saw him attached to regiments with links to establishments such as Horse Guards and garrison towns like Aldershot and Colchester. Socially, he was connected to salons frequented by the Prince Regent, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, and other elites of the Regency era.

Military Service and the Napoleonic Wars

Paget’s active military career intensified during the Napoleonic campaigns. He served under commanders including the Duke of Wellington and coordinated with allied contingents from Prussia led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher and Austrian forces tied to leaders such as Karl von Schwarzenberg. At the Peninsular War campaigns, he commanded cavalry formations allied with corps under Sir John Moore and later participated in operations connected to sieges like Badajoz and battles including Vitoria through liaison roles. During the Waterloo Campaign he led the cavalry of the Household Brigade and the Union Brigade; his decisions intersected with those of Lord Hill, Prince of Orange, and commanders of the French Imperial Guard such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Marshal Ney.

At the Battle of Waterloo his leadership during massed cavalry charges contributed to key tactical moments, notably confronting French infantry squares and countering cavalry assaults orchestrated by Marshal Grouchy. He received a severe wound—amputation of a leg—sustained in the battle, an event witnessed by contemporaries including the Duke of Wellington and later recounted in dispatches by officers like Sir William Ponsonby. His conduct at Waterloo led to honors and promotions culminating in the rank of Field Marshal and recognition in dispatches circulated among military circles such as those attending Apsley House and allied headquarters.

Political Career and Public Life

Parallel to his military role, Paget held political offices and viceregal duties interacting with institutions like the House of Commons and House of Lords. He served in capacities influenced by monarchs including George III and the Prince Regent (later George IV), and maintained correspondence with ministers such as Lord Liverpool and Viscount Castlereagh. He occupied court appointments and participated in ceremonial functions at sites like Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace. His political positions intersected with debates led by figures such as William Cobbett and reformers like Earl Grey, while he engaged with colonial and naval administrators including Lord St Vincent on defense matters.

Personal Life and Family

Paget married Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers, connecting him to the influential Villiers and Grosvenor networks; their household interacted with families such as the Marquess of Exeter and the Duke of Rutland. They produced children who entered military and naval service, notably Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey and Lord Clarence Paget, aligning the family with lineages like the Beresford and Talbot houses through marriage. His residences included estates near Anglesey and properties tied to Welsh and English aristocracy, with patronage extending to local institutions in Bangor and connections to parliamentary boroughs influenced by the Cathcart and Raglan interests.

Legacy and Commemoration

Paget’s legacy endures in military histories that reference the Waterloo Campaign, cavalry doctrine studies circulated among institutions like the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and commemorative memorials near Waterloo and in Westminster Abbey-adjacent monuments. Statues, paintings by artists such as Benjamin Robert Haydon and engravings distributed in publications alongside works by William Siborne preserved his image. Place names and regimental traditions in units like the Household Cavalry and local commemorations in Anglesey reflect his heritage, while biographies and memoirs by contemporaries including Lord Brougham and historians such as William Napier and Thackeray kept his battlefield narrative active in Victorian memory.

Category:British peerageCategory:British Army generalsCategory:People of the Napoleonic Wars