Charles Cornwallis: Papers

These documents consist chiefly of the official papers of the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, and relate principally to the American War, 1780 to 1782 (with some earlier and later material), and to Indian civil and military administration, 1786 to 1797. There are also papers concerning other offices held by Cornwallis: on a Mission to Flanders in 1794; as Master General of Ordnance, 1795 to 1798; as Plenipotentiary to the Congress of Amiens, 1801 to 1802; and miscellaneous semi-official and private papers of the Cornwallis family, 1612 to 1854.

The published Cornwallis correspondence (ed Charles Ross, 1850) also includes letters that were then held at Dublin Castle. Those letters were destroyed in 1927.

For the Neville and Aldworth papers, see

PRO 30/50

since 1947 Essex Record Office

Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron Braybrooke, 1823-1902

Henry Seymour Neville, 9th Baron Braybrooke, 1897-1990

Topics

Conflict

Operations, battles and campaigns

Personal and family papers

Charles Cornwallis succeeded his father as 2nd Earl Cornwallis in 1762. He became 1st Marquess Cornwallis in 1792. During the American War of Independence (1775-1783) he served as a senior officer in the British Army, ultimately becoming second-in-command to Sir Henry Clinton; he led British forces to their defeat at Yorktown in October 1781. During 1786-1793, and again briefly in 1805, Cornwallis was Governor-General of India. He also served as Master-General of the Ordnance (1794-1798) and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1798-1801). In 1802 he was chief signatory on the British side to the Treaty of Amiens.

On the death of the 1st Marquess in 1805, his son (also Charles) succeeded him as 2nd Marquess Cornwallis. During his father's lifetime, the 2nd Marquess was known as Lord Brome. One of the 2nd Marquess's daughters, Lady Jane Cornwallis, married Richard Griffin, 3rd Baron Braybrooke. On the 2nd Marquess's death in 1823, the marquessate became extinct but the earldom was inherited by an uncle.