Lord Alexander Russell

Lord Alexander Russell
Lord Alexander Russell
	Lord Alexander Russell.
Born	16 September 1821; Woburn, Bedfordshire
Died	10 January 1907 (aged 85); Woodeaton, Oxfordshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Rank	General
Unit	Rifle Brigade
Battles / wars	Crimean War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Spouse(s)	Anne Emily Worsley Holmes

General Lord Alexander George Russell GCB (16 September 1821 – 10 January 1907), was a British Army general. He served during the Siege of Sevastapol in the Crimean War.

Background

Russell was born at Woburn, Bedfordshire, the son of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford and his second wife, Lady Georgina (or Georgiana) Gordon, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, although it has been claimed that Russell's father was actually the Victorian painter Sir Edwin Landseer, who conducted a lengthy affair with the Duchess of Bedford.^[1] He was the half-brother of Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford, Lord George Russell and John Russell, 1st Earl Russell and the full brother of Lord Edward Russell and Lord Charles Russell.^[2]

Military career

Russell joined the Army on 11 July 1839 when he purchased a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade. Russell was a Colonel in the Rifle Brigade and served during the Siege of Sevastapol in the Crimean War. He became General Officer Commanding South-Eastern District in April 1877^[3] and Commander of the British Troops in Canada in May 1883^[4] and was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB), having previously been a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). He was not however styled Sir Alexander Russell since he already held the higher title of Lord due to his father being first a Marquess and later a Duke.

Life

Russell married Anne Emily Worsley Holmes, daughter of Sir Leonard Worsley Holmes, 9th Baronet, on 3 July 1844. They had two children:

Alexander Gordon Russell (11 July 1854–4 June 1917); became a Captain in the British Army.
Leonard George Russell (6 June 1858–7 April 1946; became a Major in the British Army.

Lady Alexander Russell died in October 1906. Russell only survived her by three months and died at Woodeaton, Oxfordshire, in January 1907, aged 85.^[2]

Ancestry

Family of Lord Alexander Russell

16. Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford

8. John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford

17. Elizabeth Howland

4. Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock

18. John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower

9. The Hon. Gertrude Leveson-Gower

19. Lady Evelyn Pierrepont

2. John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford

20. Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle

10. Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle

21. Geertruid Johanna Quirina van der Duyn

5. Lady Elizabeth Keppel

22. Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond

11. Lady Anne Lennox

23. Anne Brudenell

1. Lord Alexander Russell

24. Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon

12. Cosmo Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon

25. Lady Henrietta Mordaunt

6. Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon

26. William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen

13. Lady Catherine Gordon

27. Lady Susan Murray

3. Lady Georgina Gordon

28. Sir Alexander Maxwell, 2nd Baronet of Monreith, Wigtownshire

14. Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet of Monreith, Wigtownshire

29. Lady Jean Montgomerie

7. Jane Maxwell

30. William Blair

15. Magdalen Blair

31. Catharine Tait

References

^ Campbell Lennie, Landseer: The Victorian Paragon (London: Hamilton, 1976), 28.
^ ^a ^b General Lord Sir Alexander George Russell
^ "Army Commands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "No. 25225". The London Gazette. 27 April 1883. p. 2241.

Military offices
Preceded by William Parke	GOC South-Eastern District 1877–1880	Succeeded by Edward Newdegate
Preceded by Sir Alexander Macdonnell	Colonel-Commandant of the 2nd Battalion, The Prince Consort's Own (Rifle Brigade) 1891–1892	Succeeded by Frederick Elrington
Preceded by Sir Patrick Leonard MacDougall	Lieutenant-General Commanding the Troops in Canada 1883–1888	Succeeded by Sir John Ross
Preceded by John Longfield	Colonel of the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot 1889–1891	Succeeded by George William Powlett Bingham
Preceded by Sir Arthur Johnstone Lawrence	Colonel-Commandant of the 1st Battalion, The Prince Consort's Own (Rifle Brigade) 1892–1907	Succeeded by Sir Arthur Frederick Warren

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[1] Campbell Lennie, Landseer: The Victorian Paragon (London: Hamilton, 1976), 28.

[thepeerage.com-2] General Lord Sir Alexander George Russell

[3] "Army Commands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[4] "No. 25225". The London Gazette. 27 April 1883. p. 2241.

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