Arthur Wellesley Trivia

1. Born in Dublin to an aristocratic family in 1769, Wellington attended private schools and Eton College as boy. How could his academic progress be described?

From Quiz Duke of Wellington - The Man

Answer: Pretty hopeless

Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), who would go on to become a great general in the field of battle, and was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (only for a month the second time), was, in fact, a bit of a dunce at school. Even after spending three years at the famous Eton College, his academic record was still rather woeful. He hated it there. In later years, he has been credited with saying "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton", but, given his school results, the fact that he hated it so much, and the loneliness he felt during his entire stay, this is somewhat unlikely. He then spent a year at the French Royal Academy of Equitation where he learned to speak French and handle a horse. On his return home from there in 1786, his mother, who had just about given up hope for him during his Eton years, was very pleased at his progress, but not at his lack of ambition or inclination to want to work. She would write of him that "I don't know what I shall do with my awkward son, Arthur".

From Quiz Duke of Wellington - The Man

Answer: Attending balls and entertaining guests

Despairing of Wellington's lack of incentive, his mother had his older brother, Richard, approach the Duke of Rutland, who was the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to request a commission in the army for Arthur. This accordingly took place two months before Wellington's 18th birthday, and he found himself initially an ensign in the 73rd Regiment of Foot. Within seven months, however, and again with the influence of his older brother, he became aide-de-camp to Ireland's new Lord Lieutenant. That same year, at the extremely inexperienced age of eighteen, he was promoted to lieutenant. Wellington's not even remotely impressive army record at this stage sees him attending many balls and entertaining guests as part of his role, giving advice to the Lord Lieutenant (from an eighteen year old?), borrowing money and gambling. Oh, but he hastens to assure us from the pages of history, he "... never got helplessly into debt". Next, and following orders, he gave a speech in the rotten borough of Trim against granting the Freedom of the City to the leader of the Irish Patriot Party. That one reluctant deed saw him elected a member of parliament in the Irish House of Commons at the grand old age of twenty-one. It wasn't what you knew back then, it was whom you knew and a favourable position in society that enabled you to progress at leaps and bounds. Most other members of the Irish House of Commons were elected with less than 100 votes - because only landowners could vote.

From Quiz Duke of Wellington - The Man

Answer: Burned his violins

Some men may have kicked their dog, or spent several weeks in their cups, but Wellington, as a rather amusing reaction, burned his violins instead. This seems a shame as he was considered rather a fine musician, but that was "the day the muuuuuuusic died" for him it seems. Kitty, who lived from 1773 until 1831, was pretty, gay and charming when Wellington first met her, and he fell head over heels in love with her. His marriage offer, however, was turned down by Kitty's brother who considered Wellington, with all his debts, to be a far from suitable suitor. One good result of that rejection, though, was that Wellington decided to pursue an army career instead.

From Quiz Duke of Wellington - The Man

Answer: Had several hanged

The rest he had severely flogged. This all seems rather drastic but apparently it worked. That took place following the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799, after which his men began to drink heavily, riot, and pillage the city. During this time, Wellington also suffered from the trots, an ongoing fever and trichophyton, which is a fungus responsible for tinea, ringworm and jock itch - so perhaps his testiness with his men was somewhat understandable. After all, a full colonel cannot be seen having a good old scratch in public. Yet, there was still a softer side to this rapidly rising soldier, who, by 1802, had been promoted to major-general. On the death of one of the main British enemies in battle, Wellington paid for the future education and upkeep of his young, now orphaned, son. And he was known to have shed tears at the sight of the British dead soldiers on the field after one of the bloodiest battles in the Napoleonic wars in 1812. After Waterloo too, he refused to be congratulated and broke down in tears instead at the high cost to his men.

From Quiz Duke of Wellington - The Man

Answer: She has grown ugly by Jove

In the years between his first proposal to Kitty and his rising star in the army, Wellington had grown all the more personable in appearance. Kitty, however, had not fared so well. She had become engaged to another man in Wellington's absence, believing all was lost with the future Duke, but on being informed by a friend that Wellington was still attached to her, she broke off that engagement and waited - and waited - and waited for Arthur's return. During this time, she had grown thin and pale, had lost all her vivacity, and wasn't in the best of health. Wellington, a great veteran in the field of battle, made the fatal error of receiving her brother's permission to go ahead with his proposal BEFORE first visiting Kitty. When he did finally meet her again, he described her later to his brother as "She has grown ugly, by Jove!" Unfortunately though, he was now committed, so the marriage with the reluctant groom proceeded in April, 1806. He didn't exactly charge up the aisle though. (The years between 1805 and 1818 saw Wellington promoted to lieutenant general, taking a short break from the army where he gained a seat in British parliament, returning to the army and being posted to various other countries and military engagements. During this period, he was also promoted to full General, and elevated to the peerage of the United Kingdom, firstly as the Earl, then as the Marquess, and ultimately the Duke, of Wellington. Then of course there was the famous battle of Waterloo in which Napoleon was finally defeated. This was followed by Wellington's promotion to Major General and finally Field Marshal, the highest rank in the British army. Wellington then resumed his political career with a vengeance. He was not exactly what you would describe as a family man).

From Quiz Duke of Wellington - The Man

Answer: Trying to reinstate Popery in England

Perhaps the achievement most associated with Wellington's time in Parliament was his overseeing of Catholic Emancipation and the passing of the Catholic Relief Act of 1829. This Act removed most of the restrictions placed on Catholics in the United Kingdom, but was bitterly opposed by Protestants everywhere. Wellington fought for it vehemently, even to the extent that he threatened to resign if the King failed to give his Royal Assent. The 10th Earl of Winchelsea, a member of the British House of Lords, and quite openly associated with the Orange Party (Protestant) in Ireland, accused the Duke in writing of carrying out an "insidious design for the infringement of our liberties and the introduction of popery into every department of the state". The outraged Duke challenged the Earl to a duel. This took place in 1829. The Earl deliberately fired his gun into the air, and the Duke fired but missed. He stated that he missed on purpose, but he was actually known to be rather a poor shot (possibly because of his slightly crossed eyes), so perhaps he didn't mean to miss at all. We will never know. The Earl accordingly apologised in writing, so the Duke's honour was avenged, pip, pip. After Wellington failed to get his way over the later Reform Act of 1832 that aimed to introduce wide ranging changes to the British electoral system (he opposed it and his party successfully managed to twice block its passing), the threat of insurrection throughout the land was distinct possibility. As a result, the King threatened to fill parliament with new Whig peers if the bill failed again. Wellington had to give in - reluctantly - but never approved of the changes thus made in society. However, at the first meeting of Parliament under the enlarged franchise, his only comment was that "I never saw so many shocking bad hats in my life".

From Quiz Duke of Wellington - The Man

Answer: Threw his drumstick in the air and cheered

Wellington seldom partook of any food between breakfast and his evening meal whenever he was engaged in battle or training, and believed his men, including their unenthusiastic officers, should do likewise. His favourite phrase in this regard was "march at daybreak" and "dine on cold meat and bread". During the Battle of Salamanca in 1812, however, and unusually so, he had been munching on a drumstick while observing the progress of this battle through his spyglass. Suddenly he spotted a weakness in the French line, and, to the astonishment of all around him, he threw the inoffensive drumstick in the air, and cried out in delight, "The French are lost!" He was probably quite mortified at this unseemly display afterwards, such was his dislike of displaying emotion in public. He even disapproved whenever his troops cheered because he said this was "too nearly an expression of opinion". Another time he displayed his real feelings in public occurred after the Battle of Toulouse when he was given the news that Napoleon had abdicated. The delighted Wellington, in front of his gaping aides, sprang into a Flamenco dance on the spot, spinning heels, clicking fingers and all.

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Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:06 AM

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