10 Facts About George Wellesley

Admiral Sir George Greville Wellesley was a Royal Navy officer.

George Wellesley went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the North America and West Indies Station and then Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Squadron but was relieved of the latter post by a court-martial after an incident in which an armoured frigate, which had been under his command at the time, ran aground at Pearl Rock off Gibraltar in July 1871.

George Wellesley was appointed First Naval Lord in November 1877 and in that capacity he secured a considerable increase in naval construction, for example on the Colossus-class battleships, although some of these ships were of doubtful quality.

George Wellesley transferred to the fifth-rate HMS Castor in March 1839 and took part in operations on the coast of Syria taking part in the capture of Acre in November 1840 during the Oriental Crisis.

George Wellesley joined the fifth-rate HMS Thalia on the East Indies Station in November 1841 and, having been promoted to commander on 16 April 1842, he transferred to the brig HMS Childers on the East Indies Station.

George Wellesley was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in February 1856.

George Wellesley remained in command of HMS Cornwallis when she moved to the North America and West Indies Station in 1856 and then commanded the Indian Navy from 1857 until it became the Bombay Marine in 1862.

George Wellesley retired in August 1879 and was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 23 April 1880.

In retirement George Wellesley was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 21 June 1887 and became a Commissioner of the Patriotic Fund in June 1888.

George Wellesley died at his home at Chester Square in London on 6 April 1901.