Family and Education

b. 1786, 4th s. of William Lygon*, 1st Earl of Beauchamp, by Catherine, da. of James Denn; bro. of Hon. Henry Beauchamp Lygon* and Hon. William Beauchamp Lygon*. educ. Westminster until c.1802. unm. CB 22 June 1815.

Offices Held

Cornet, 2 Life Gds. 1803, lt. 1805, capt. 1808, maj. and lt.-col. 1815, lt.-col. 1818, col. 1822; maj.-gen. 1837; col. 13 Drag. 1845-d.; lt.-gen. 1846; gen. 1854.

Biography

Lygon entered the Guards and in November 1812 joined the forces in Spain. He obtained a medal for his services at Vittoria. He served in the Waterloo campaign and commanded the 2nd Life Guards with distinction in the battle, being rewarded with a commandership of the Bath. His coming into Parliament was only a brief interlude in a long military career. He was returned for Callington after a contest on Lord Clinton’s interest in 1818, as a friend of government. He supported them silently, appearing in their majorities on 29 Mar., 18 May and 10 June 1819. Unseated after his re-election in 1820, he did not seek to re-enter Parliament. In later years he was inspector general of cavalry. Lygon died 11 Nov. 1860.

Gent. Mag. (1860), ii. 685.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes