George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley

Who was George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley?

George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley, PC, FRS, styled The Honourable from birth until 1715 and then known as Lord Newborough to 1725, was an English soldier.

Cholmondeley was the second son of Robert Cholmondeley, 1st Viscount Cholmondeley, and Elizabeth Cradock. Hugh Cholmondeley, 1st Earl of Cholmondeley, was his elder brother. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. Cholmondeley supported the claim of William of Orange and Mary to the English throne and after their accession he was appointed a Groom of the Bedchamber. In 1690 he commanded the horse grenadier guards at the Battle of the Boyne and two years later he fought at the Battle of Steenkerque. From 1690 to 1695 he represented Newton in the House of Commons.

Cholmondeley was promoted to Brigadier-General in 1697, to Major-General in 1702, to Lieutenant-General in 1704 and to General in 1727. He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1706 and in 1715 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Newborough, of Newborough in the County of Wexford. One year later he was created Baron Newburgh, of Newburgh in the County of Anglesea, in the Peerage of Great Britain, and in 1725 Cholmondeley succeeded his elder brother as second Earl of Cholmondeley. He also succeeded him as Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merionetshire and Montgomeryshire, posts he held until his death.