1806. ] 
was moft probably connected with the 
match with the Inzfanta; and when Prince 
Charles, afterwards Charles I. thought 
proper, ina fit of gallantry, to vifit his 
intended bride, Frederick, the nephew of 
the minifter, appears to have accompani- 
ed his future fovereign. 
During the troubles that enfued, Sir 
Fiederick Cornwallis attached himfelf to 
the royal caufe. On the execution of the 
King his eftates were therefore confifcated, 
and himfelf imprifoned ; yet no fooner did 
he obtain his liberty than he followed 
Charles II. intoexile, and on the rettora- 
tion of that monarch was nominated a 
treafurer of the houfehold. In 1661 he 
was created an Englifh Peer, bythe ftyle 
and title of Baron Cornwallis, of Eye, in 
Suffolk. 
Charles, the fifth Lord Cornwallis, was 
by George II. (June 30, 1753.) advanced 
to the dignity of Vifcount Brome and 
Earl Cornwallis, and by Elizabeth, the 
daughter of Charles Vifcount ‘Townfhend, 
had avery numerous iffue. It is nota 
little remarkable that four members of 
this family, all living at the fame. time, 
hadatraired the higheft eminence in their 
reipective profeffions, the navy, army, 
and the church, enehaving been an Ad- 
miral, one a General, and of the other 
two, the firft, Archbifhop of Cacterbury, 
and the fecond, Bifhop of Litchfield and 
Coventry. 
Charles, the fixth Baron, fecond Earl, 
and firt Marquis Cornwallis, the fub- 
ject of the prefent Memoir, was born 
December 31, 1738. After receiving 
the neceflary deoree of inftruction to ena- - 
ble him to be fent toa public {chool, he 
became a member of Eton, from which 
feminary he was tranfmitted to the Uni- 
verfity of Cambridge, and was entered of 
St. John’s College by the name and title 
of Lord Brome. 
Having exhibited a predifpofition for the 
army, he obtained a ftand otf colours when 
feventeen or eighteen years of age, and 
he was foon after raifed to the rank of 
Lieutenant, and became a Captain in 
Craufurd’s light infantry by the time he 
had attained his twentieth year. 
His birth, rank, and connexions in life, 
of courfe opened a road to a very rapid 
advancement, and accordingly we find him, 
in 1761, aéling under the Marquis of 
Granby, as one of his Aide-de-Camps, 
with the rank, we believe, of a Major. 
In confequence of his good conduct, he 
was immediately after promoted to be 
Lieutenant-Colonel of the twelfth regi- 
Menwirs of the late Marquis Cornwallis. 231 
ment of foot, and on his return was aps 
pointed 4ide-de-Camp to the King, which 
gave him the rank of Colonel in the line. 
Anterior to this he had obtained a feat 
in the Houfe of Commons for his patri- 
monial berough of Eye; and were all 
patrimonial boroughs fo reprefented, but 
little objeftion would beentertained againft 
them. On the demife of his father, in 
1762, heof courfe vacated his feat in the 
Houle of Commons, and became an earl 
of Great Britain. Three years after he 
was appointed one of the lords of the 
tedchamber. In 1766 he received a re- 
giment, (the 33d foot ;) and on the r4th 
July, 1768, be married Jemima Tuli- 
kens,* daughter of the late James jones, 
Efg., by whom he had two children, the 
one his prefent fucceflor, and the other 
Mrs. Singleton. 
Lord Cornwallis at an early period of 
life difplayed the independence of his 
charaéter, for he carefully and judicioufly 
diftinguifhed between his duties as a peer 
of parliament, and his profeffional avo- 
cations as an officer in the army. From 
the very beginning he exhibited the great- 
eft reluctance to the conteit with our colo- 
nies in America ; and he was one of four 
peers who joined Earl Camden in oppohi- 
tion to the bill for extending the legtfla- 
tive power of Great Britain to our Tranf{- 
Atlantic previnces. On this fubjeét the 
public has long fince made up its mind, 
as well as on another, conneéted with the 
condvét of the Adminiftration of that 
‘day, in the cafe of Mr. Wilkes, The 
fubjeét of this memoir protefted againft 
the vote, by which privilege was taken 
away in the cafe of libel ; and no fooner 
was an end put to the American war, 
than allthe proceedings againft the knight 
of the fhire for Middlefex were ref{cinded 
from the journals of the Houfe, in which 
he fat. 
But notwithftanding Lord Cornwallis 
had fet his face againft thofe coercive mea- 
fures which led to the fatal conteft with 
America, he yet deemed it his duty to re- 
pair thither when called upon in an offi- 
cial capacity. Accordingly, no fooner 
was his regiment ordered for embarka- 
tjon, than he tock leave of a moft virtuous 
and affeGtionate wife, who through the in- 
tervention of his uncie (the late Frederic 
Cornwallis, Aychoifhop of Canterbuiy,) 
bad obtained for him the King’s {pecial 
leave of abfence. 
* The Countefs Cornwallis died Feb. 14, 
1779: Her hufhand remained a widower, 
Gg2 While 
