General Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton (25 June 1737 – 21 March 1797) was a British Army officer who served in the Seven Years' War and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1759 to 1780. The second son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy, FitzRoy joined the 1st Foot Guards as an ensign in 1752 and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1758. In the following year he fought at the Battle of Minden as an aide de camp, where he was a part of the controversy surrounding Lord George Sackville's slow reaction to orders sent to him. FitzRoy was also present at the Battle of Vellinghausen in 1761. Having been quickly promoted through the ranks with the support of his powerful family, he was promoted to major-general in 1772 and became a general in 1793. With the patronage of his elder brother Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, FitzRoy also had a long political career. He was a Groom of the Bedchamber from 1760 to 1762 and Whig Member of Parliament for Orford from 1759 to 1761, for Bury St Edmunds from 1761 to 1774 and for Thetford from 1774 to 1780. He was created Baron Southampton on 17 October 1780 for his support of Lord North's ministry and became Groom of the Stole to the Prince of Wales later in the year, a position he would hold for the rest of his life. He was succeeded by his eldest son, George, upon his death in 1797. Life Early military service Charles FitzRoy was born on 25 June 1737, the second son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy and Elizabeth Cosby, who was the daughter of Colonel William Cosby. Descended from the aristocratic FitzRoy family, FitzRoy's older brother Augustus would go on to become the third Duke of Grafton. When FitzRoy's father died of a fever while serving at the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741, the brothers were given over to the care of their grandfather, Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton. In 1752 FitzRoy joined the British Army as an ensign in the 1st Foot Guards. With the backing of his powerful family, FitzRoy was promoted quickly. He became lieutenant (regimental rank) and captain (army rank) in 1756, and captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1758. In the following year he became aide de camp to Field-Marshal Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick for service in the Seven Years' War. With