George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan

Field Marshal George Charles Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, GCB (16 April 1800 – 10 November 1888), styled Lord Bingham before 1839, was a British soldier, remembered for his part in the Crimean War.

The Earl of Lucan by Carlo Pellegrini, 1881.

He was born in London, the first son of the 2nd Earl of Lucan, and was styled Lord Bingham from birth. He attended Westminster School but left formal education in 1816 to join the 6th Regiment of Foot. He became a lieutenant in 1820 and a major in 1825, when he was with the 17th Lancers. He became regimental commander in 1826. In 1828, he took part as a volunteer with the Russian forces in the Turkish campaign.[1] He was also elected as MP for County Mayo in 1826 and held that seat until 1830. In 1829 he married Lady Anne Brudenell, seventh daughter of the 6th Earl of Cardigan, and they had six children.

He succeeded his father as 3rd Earl of Lucan on 30 June 1839. He was made Lord-Lieutenant of County Mayo in 1845 and acted in a sufficiently clumsy and insensitive manner to earn the hatred of many of the inhabitants. He continued to rise through the Army's ranks: despite being on half-pay, he was made a colonel in 1841 and a major-general in 1851.

At the outbreak of the Crimean War he applied for a post and was made commander of the cavalry division. His brother-in-law, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, was one of his subordinates, commanding the Light Brigade - an unfortunate choice as the two men heartily detested each other.

At the Battle of Balaclava, Lucan received an order from the British commander, Lord Raglan, and in turn ordered Cardigan to lead the fateful charge of the Light Brigade. As Lucan brought the Heavy Brigade forward in support he was lightly wounded in the leg. Raglan blamed Lucan for the loss, "you have lost the light brigade", and censured him in dispatches; Although Lucan complained against this censure, as the relationship between the army commander and the cavalry commander had clearly broken down, he was recalled to England, where he returned at the beginning of March 1855.

On his arrival Lucan's demand for a court martial was declined and instead he defended himself with a speech to the House of Lords on 19 March, blaming Raglan and his deceased aide-de-camp Captain Louis Nolan. This tactic appears to have been successful as he was subsequently appointed KCB on 5th July and Colonel of the 8th Hussars, who had charged with the Light Brigade, on 17th November 1855. Although he never again saw active duty he was promoted to lieutenant-general on 24 December 1858, to general on 28 August 1865 and finally to field marshal on 21 June 1887.

He died at 13 South Street, Park Lane on 10 November 1888 and was buried at Laleham, Middlesex.