On December 31, 1738, Charles Cornwallis was born the second Earl Cornwallis, since.
his father, the fifth Baron Cornwallis, had been rewarded as a Viscount and the first Earl.
Cornwallis. In 1661, Sir Frederick Cornwallis was rewarded a baron try by Charles II for.
service to the Stuarts. His mother was the niece of Sir Robert Walpole. His uncle became.
he Archbishop of Canterbury. Cornwallis was educated at Eton and moved in elite social.
circles.
In 1756, about a month before his eighteenth birthday, Cornwallis purchased an ensign's.
commission in the Grenadier Guards and then took the extraordinary measure of.
attending a military school in Turin, Italy to actually study for the position. He actually.
only stayed a few months, because he learned that his regiment had been called up to.
serve in the Seven Years' War in the allied army under Prince Ferdinand in 1758. He.
never caught up with his own regiment, but he soon became aide-de-camp to the British.
second-in-command Marquis of Granby, who would eventually command all British.
forces on the European continent. He was present at the Battle of Minden on August 1,.
1759.
After serving as a staff officer for about a year, in August 1759, Cornwallis was .
promoted to Captain in the 85th regiment and returned to England to join his new .
Colonel of the 12th Foot and took command of the unit in June. On July 15, 1761, the .
.
unit was heavily engaged at Vellinghausen, Germany. It would see many other minor .
engagements before entering winter quarters. The unit continued to see action in 1762.
In July 1762, Cornwallis received word that his father had died the previous month, passing the .
estate and a seat in the House of Lords on to Charles, now 2nd Earl Cornwallis. He assumed the .
seat in the House of Lords in November 1762. He managed to remain in favor with the court .
even though he voted against the Stamp Act in March 1765. In July 1765, he was appointed a .
lord of the bedchamber.
