Lord Robert Bertie


Lord Robert Bertie was a senior British Army officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1751 to 1782.

Early life

Bertie was the fifth son of Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and the third son by the Duke's second wife Albinia Farrington and was educated at Eton College in 1728. In 1745 he inherited his mother's estate at Chislehurst.

Military career

Bertie joined the Coldstream Guards as an ensign in 1737, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1741 and captain in 1744. He was granted brevet rank as colonel in 1752, major-general in 1758, lieutenant-general in 1760 and general in 1777.
He was Regimental Colonel of the 7th Regiment of Foot from 1754 to 1776, and of the 2nd Troop of Horse Guards from 1776 to 1782. Bertie also commanded a regiment of fuziliers which filled billets to Admiral John Byng's fleet in 1756, then short of men. Bertie later defended the admiral at Byng's court-martial. He was Governor of Cork from 1762 to 1768 and Governor of Duncannon from 1768 to 1782.

Later career

Bertie was a Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales, later King George III, from 1751 until his death. He sat in Parliament for Whitchurch from 1751 to 1754 and for Boston from 1754 to 1782.
Bertie died in 1782. In 1762 he had married Mary, widow of Robert Raymond, 2nd Baron Raymond and daughter of Montague Blundell, 1st Viscount Blundell; they had no children.