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George Wolseley

1839 – 1921

British Indian Army general

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About George Wolseley

Lived 1839 – 1921 (aged 81). George Wolseley was a British military leader.

Lieutenant-General Sir George Benjamin Wolseley (11 July 1839 – 10 May 1921) was an Anglo-Irish officer in the Indian Army.

Military career Wolseley was the third surviving son of Major Garnet Joseph Wolseley, of the 90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers), by his wife Frances Anne Smith (daughter of William Smith, County Dublin). He was the younger brother of Field Marshal Lord Wolseley and inventor Frederick Wolseley. The family seat was Mount Wolseley in County Carlow.

His father died in 1840, leaving a widow and seven children to survive on his Army pension. Money was short, leaving the Wolseley sons to be educated at the local school instead of being sent to England as was typical for boys of their class. He was commissioned into the 84th Regiment of Foot in 1857 and saw active service in the response to the Indian Mutiny. He became Assistant Adjutant-General with the Candahar Field Force in 1878, Assistant Adjutant-General in Egypt in 1882 (seeing action again at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September of that year) and Assistant Adjutant-General in the Nile Expedition of 1884. He served as such for five years until October 1903, but had an extended leave back home in 1902 after his wife's death. He was promoted to full general in May 1906.

Family Wolseley married, in 1867, Esther Louise Andrews, daughter of William Andrews. They had one son who died young. Lady Wolseley died at Hillside, Whitechurch, Oxfordshire, on 11 March 1902.

Death On 10 May 1921, Wolseley's body was discovered on the train tracks of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (now Medway Valley line) between Wateringbury and Teston in Kent. At the time of his death, he was a resident of Thatched House, Wateringbury. His death was reported as an accident.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Awards
Order of the Bath; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

People in George Wolseley's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped George Wolseley's

Frequently asked questions

Who was George Wolseley?

British Indian Army general

When was George Wolseley born?

George Wolseley was born on 11 July 1839 in Dublin.

When did George Wolseley die?

George Wolseley died on 10 May 1921.

What was George Wolseley's occupation?

George Wolseley was a military leader.

What nationality was George Wolseley?

George Wolseley was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: George Wolseley

· Wikidata: Q16037932

· DBpedia: George Wolseley

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). George Wolseley. https://biography.guide/george-wolseley/

MLA: "George Wolseley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/george-wolseley/.

Chicago: "George Wolseley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/george-wolseley/.

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