#7812, George Henry CADOGAN

George was the eldest son of Henry Cadogan, 4th Earl Cadogan, by his wife Mary, daughter of Reverend Gerald Wellesley, younger brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.

In 1873 he was returned as Member of Parliament for Bath, just before he was enobled on the death of his father and had to move to the House of Lords. He was made Under-Secretary for War in 1875 and Under-Secretary to the Colonies in 1878 by Disraeli. He served under Lord Salisbury as Lord Privy Seal from 1886 to 1892 (after 1887 in the cabinet), and again in the cabinet as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1895 to 1902. He was also the first Mayor of Chelsea in1900. He was made a Knight of the Garter for political services in 1891.

Cadogan funded the rebuilding of Holy Trinity Church, Chelsea to the design of the leading Arts and Crafts architect John Dando Sedding and the commissioning of numerous fittings by leading designers, Henry Wilson, Onslow Ford, Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, Nelson Dawson and H H Armstead. Additionally he oversaw the installation of the now famous great organ by James John Walker.