Birth & early life
Born in Dublin on the 2nd of September 1837, as Arthur Lyttelton McLeod, the son of Arthur Lyttelton McLeod of Arly Castle, Staffordshire and Camolin Park, Co. Wexford, and Mary, daughter of John Bradley, Esq., of Colbourne Hill, Staffordshire. In 1844 his father assumed the surname of Annesley in lieu of McLeod, after the demise of his uncle, George, the last Earl of Mountmorre.
Children of Arthur Lyttelton Annesley and Mary Bradley
Georgina Lyttelton Annesley
Annabella Lucy Annesley d. 7 Dec 1929
Augusta Mary Annesley
Lt.-Gen. Sir Arthur Lyttelton Lyttelton-Annesley b. 2 Sep 1837, d. 16 Feb 1926
John George Annesley b. 8 Aug 1839, d. 2 Oct 1892
[Source: http://www.thepeerage.com/p59841.htm#i598407 (accessed 15.3.2016). [PB]]
Arthur Lyttelton Annesley assumed the additional surname of Lyttelton by Royal Licence in 1884 and became known as Arthur Lyttelton Lyttelton-Annesley.
Lyttleton or Lyttelton?
All spellings on original military documents were as "Lyttleton". However, information from the incumbent of St Peter's at Arly shows that the spelling of the family name is "Lyttelton" on memorial tablets and gravestones. Various Peerages also show it as "Lyttelton".
1851 Census
Cheam, Surrey.
Arthur Annesley, 14, pupil, born Dublin.
[PB: This was presumably a prep school, because he went to Harrow the following year.]
The Harrow School Register states:
ENTRANCES, JANUARY EASTER 1852.
Annesley, Arthur Lyttelton (H.B.), son of A. L. Annesley, Esq., Arley Castle, Bewdley. Left 1853 2. Joined 11th Hussars, 1854; retired as Lieut.-Gen. 1898; served in the Crimea (medal and clasp and Turkish medal); has been A.D.C. to the Duke of Cambridge, A.G. at Bombay, and A.A.G. at the Horse Guards; Commander of the Forces in Scotland, 1888-93 ; Col. 12th Lancers, 1896-1902 ; of llth Hussars, 1902 assumed the name of Lyttelton-Annesley, 1884 ; K.C.V.O. 1903 Kt. Commander of Order of Christ (Portugal); F.R.G.S., F.R.Z.S., F.S.A., Lieut.-Gen. Sir A. Lyttelton-AnnesLey, K.G.V.O., Templemere, Weybridge.
[Source: R. Courtenay Welch et al, The Harrow School Register, 1800 – 1901, 3rd edition, 1911. Online at Project Gutenberg: archive.org/details/harrowschoolregi00harruoft (accessed 6.3.2016). [PB]]
[PB: Check his relationship to Robert Annesley, who went to Harrow and had joined the 11th Hussars a few years earlier. Cousins?]
Service
Cornet in the 11th Hussars: 21st of July 1854.
Lieutenant, 11th Hussars: 8th of December 1854.
In his memoirs, published in 1987 under the title A Victorian R.S.M., George Loy Smith describes a night alarm on the 17th of December 1854:
"One very unfortunate circumstance has occurred through this alarm. Lieutenant Annersley [sic] seeing Lieutenant Dunn's servant, who was running to saddle up his master's horse, and taking him for a Russian from the fact of his wearing a long grey coat, he being a private servant – the only one with the regiment, fired and shot him through the thigh. Colonel Douglas severely reprimanded Lieutenant Annersley for this act of indiscretion."
Captain, 11th Hussars: 24th of February 1857.
[PB: Directory: 1860 London Royal Blue Book: "Annesley, Capt. Hon. Arthur, 36 Clarges street, Piccadilly, W."]
Hart's New Army List, 1859.
(Click on image to enlarge)
Major, 11th Hussars: 18th of January 1861, and on to half-pay (Unattached).
1861 Census
Hulme Cavalry Barracks, Chorlton, Lancashire.
Major A. L. Annesley, 24, born Dublin.
Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel, 11th Hussars: 9th of December 1871.
Lieutenant-Colonel, and assumed the command of the 11th Hussars: 16th of July 1873.
Brevet-Colonel, 11th Hussars: 21st of March 1877.
[PB: Directory: 1878 Post Office Directory, St Leonard's, Sussex: "Annesley Arthur Lyttleton, J.P. 65 Marina square".]
On to half-pay, 11th Hussars: 3rd of April 1878.
A.D.C. to the Commander-in-Chief from the 3rd of April 1878.
A.A.C. at Headquarters, 11th Hussars: 1st of November 1878.,
Adjutant-General at Bombay, India, from the 1st of February 1881.
Major-General, 11th Hussars: 2nd of October 1886.
Major-General commanding the North British District from the 28th of February 1888 to the 28th of February 1893.
Lieutenant-General, 11th Hussars: 15th of February 1893.
Colonel of the 12th Lancers, 11th Hussars: 12th of February 1896.
Placed upon the Retired List, 11th Hussars: 23rd of February 1898.
Colonel of the 11th Hussars: 2nd of April 1902 until his death.
Medals
Campaign Service
Lieutenant Annesley served the Eastern campaign from the 29th of July 1855, including the Siege and fall of Sebastopol.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish Medal.
Appointed KCVO, 9th of November 1903.
Awarded the Kaiser I Hind, the Coronation Medals of Edward VII and King George V, and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of Christ of Portugal.
Created a KCB, 1st of January 1923.
He was also granted the "Pension for Distinguished and Meritorious Service".
Life after service
He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a Fellow of the Zoological Society.
Annesley, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Arthur Lyttelton Lyttelton, K.C.V.O, Templemere, Weybridge, Surrey, and Carlton Club, Pall-mall, S.W.
[Source: A List of the Fellows of the Zoological Society of London, Corrected to May 31st 1910 (online at https://archive.org/details/listoffellows1910zooluoft).]
1911 Census
Templemere, Oatlands Park, Weybridge, Surrey.
Arthur Lyttleton Annesley, 73, Lt General in the Army, born Dublin.
Five servants are also shown.
Death & burial
Died at Templemere, Weybridge, Surrey, on the 16th of February 1926. He was unmarried.
Death registered
Arthur L.L. Annesley, March Quarter, 1926, 88, Chertsey.
From The Times, 10th of February 1926:
"We regret to announce the death of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Lyttleton Lyttleton-Annesley, K.C.V.O. who died on Tuesday at Weybridge in this 89th year. Sir Arthur was one of a fast disappearing group of Crimean veterans. A man of good birth and distinguished appearance, he seemed a typical link with the old Army. He had out-lived most of his contemporaries, but with his old-fashioned courtesy and kindness, he remained a welcome figure amongst the younger generation and his loss will be deeply regretted... The funeral will be at St. Peter's Church, Arley, Worcestershire.
From the Surrey Herald and News, 19th of February 1926:
"Oatlands Park has lost another of its distinguished residents by the death on Tuesday of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Lyttleton-Annesley, K.C.V.O of "Templemere", Oatlands Park, Weybridge. The gallant general served in the Crimean War and was present at the siege of Sebastopol. Born on the 2nd of September 1837, he was the eldest son of the late Mr. A. Lyttleton-Annesley, of Arley Castle in Staffordshire and Camolin Park, Co. Wexford.
He was educated at Harrow, and in 1854 he entered the 11th Hussars as a Cornet. For his services he received the Crimean medal with clasp and the Turkish medal. He also possessed the Coronation medals of both King Edward the V11 and King George the V, the Kaiser I Hind Medal and was Knight Commander of the Order of Christ of Portugal.
He served for some ten years in India with the 11th Hussars, which he also commanded for some years, and brought them home. Other positions he filled were as Aide de Camp to H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, Assistant Adjutant-General of the Bombay Army and commanded the Troops in Scotland for some years. He was also awarded the Good Service pension for Distinguished and Meritorious Services. In 1875-76 he was on the Staff of the Prince of Wales and returned to England with His Royal Highness through Egypt. In 1903 he was created Knight Commander of the Victorian Order and appointed Honorary Colonel of the 11th (P.O.A.) Hussars. The late Sir A. Lyttleton-Annesley was un-married...
The body of the late General will, it is understood, be conveyed to Woking this (Friday) morning, for cremation. The ashes will repose during the week-end at "Templemere," and will afterwards be removed to Upper Arley, Staffordshire [sic] for the interment, which will take place on Tuesday. Full military honours will attend the ceremony."
From the Kidderminster Times", 27th of February 1926:
"The funeral of Lieut. General Sir Arthur Lyttleton Lyttleton-Annesley took place at Arley, Worcestershire, on Tuesday afternoon in the presence of a very distinguished gathering of relatives and friends; the interment being made in the family burial ground on the north side of St. Peter's and within view of Arley Castle, which was formerly owned by the deceased's family. The service for the burial of the dead was conducted by the Vicar, the Revd. S.H.S. Spooner. [Then follows a list of mourners and those who sent floral tributes.]
The body of Sir Arthur was cremated at St. John's Crematorium at Woking, on Friday the 19th. and the ashes were taken to his late residence at Weybridge, where they remained until Monday morning, when the cabinet containing them was conveyed by road to Arley-on-Severn and placed in the chancel of the Parish Church of St. Peter's, where it remained, flower-laden, till the funeral service on the following afternoon, the St. George's Cross being lowered to half-mast until after the funeral in token of the mourning of the parish. Blinds were generally drawn throughout Arley as evidence of respect to the memory of the departed General.
The ashes were contained in an inner and outer cabinet of oak, and on the brass plate of the latter was the following inscription: "Arthur Lyttleton Lyttleton-Annesley, K.C.B. K.C.V.O. Lieutenant-General. Born 2nd September 1837 – Died 16th February 1926." The cabinet was deposited in a vault in the family burial-ground on the north side of Arley Church, being lowered into the space reserved for it by the deceased's two servants, Messrs. V. Champion and C. Head. Two small clusters of violets were deposited on the cabinet and buried with it.
A firing party of the 11th Hussars fired three volleys over the grave, followed by the 'Last Post' being sounded on the trumpets. The military party was under the control of Lieutenant-Colonel F.H. Sutton."
There is an Annesley window in Arley Church to the members of his greater family.
St Peter, Arley, Worcestershire c.1904.
(Click on image to enlarge)
A family vault of the Lyttelton-Annesley family on the north-west side of St Peter's church at Arley is now (1989) almost overgrown by a large yew tree. Just to the left of the yew tree is a red granite gravestone commemorating Arthur Lyttelton-Annesley (the father of General Annesley).
The stone has an additional inscription recording "Arthur Lyttelton Lyttelton-Annesley. KCB. KCVO. Lt. General. Born Sept. 2nd 1837 – Died Feb. 16th 1926."
On the north side of the east window of the All Saint's Chapel in the church there is a brass plaque, attached to the wall at shoulder height, which reads:
[CHECK WORDING OF MEMORIAL & SPELLINGS OF NAMES]
"Sacred to the memory of Lt. General Sir Arthur
Lyttelton Lyttelton-Annesley, KCB. KCVO. Honorary
Coat of arms of the Colonel 11th Prince Albert's Own Hussars. Born
Annesley family. 2 September 1837 – Died 16 February 1826. Eldest
son of the late Arthur Lyttelton Annesley of
Arley Castle, Staffordshire, and Camolin Park,
County Wexford and Mary, daughter of John Bradley
of Colbourne Hall, Staffordshire.
Requiescat in Pace."
According to the incumbent at Arly (1989):
"Even today, Sir Arthur is not entirely forgotten in Arly. In his estate a small bequest was left to the parish for use at the discretion of the Vicar. Last Christmas (1988) this provided two small Christmas presents to former Arly residents who are now living outside the parish and were therefore beyond the benefit of other parochial charities."
Further information
In 1908, he erected a memorial to his family at St Peter's Church, Farnborough, Hants:
Memorial to Annesley family placed in St Peter's Church, Farnham, 1908.
IN MEMORY OF
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR ARTHUR ANNESLEY
1st EARL OF ANGLESEY BARON ANNESLEY IN THE PEERAGE OF ENGLAND
Viscount Valentia and Baron Mount Norris in the Peerage of Ireland
P.C. Treasurer of the Navy 1667 Lord Privy Seal to His Majesty King
CHARLES 2nd 1673. He died April 6th 1686 and is buried in this church
Also the following members of the ANNESLEY family interred here
JAMES 2nd Earl of Anglesey Eldest son of the 1st Earl died 1st April 1690
JAMES ANNESLEY died 21st Januy 1702 ] sons of the 2nd Earl
JOHN ANNESLEY died 10th Sept 1710 ]- and successively
ARTHUR ANNESLEY died 1st April 1737 ] Earls of Anglesey
ARTHUR ANNESLEY the 5th Earl was one of the Lords Justices of England,
after the death of Queen ANNE, till after the arrival of King GEORGE the 1st
and High Steward of the University of Cambridge P.C.
ALTHAM ANNESLEY, 1st Baron Altham 2nd son of the 1st Earl of
Anglesey, died 26th April 1699
MARY, daughter of the 1st Baron HAVERSHAM and wife of ARTHUR
5th Earl of ANGLESEY, died January 20th 1719
Also of the 1st Earl of Tyrone, who died a prisoner in the
Tower of London, 14th October 1690
He married the Lady DOROTHY ANNESLEY, daughter of the 1st
Earl of Anglesey
Erected in memory of his ancestors by
Lt General Sir ARTHUR LYTTELTON-ANNESLEY KCVO
Colonel 11th Prince Alberts Own Hussars
1908
[Source: http://www.stpetersfarnborough.org.uk/mis/mipages/fboromi.htm (accessed 6.8.12). [PB].]
He was left £1,000 by the will of Sir Roger William Palmer.
