The Duke of Wellington - The 'last great Englishman' BORN MAY 1, 1779
The Duke of Wellington - The 'last great Englishman' BORN MAY 1, 1779 The 'last great Englishman' The legacy of the Duke of Wellington towers over British history. The hero of Waterloo, vanquisher of Napoleon – poet laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson hailed him as the 'last great Englishman'. Statues still adorn the streets of many British towns and cities while his name has become synonymous with one of Britain's most celebrated victories. So how did Arthur Wellesley become the 'Iron Duke' we remember today? Birth and childhood Wellington spent much of his childhood at Dangan Castle, Ireland. The future Duke of Wellington was born Arthur Wesley (later changed to Wellesley) around 1 May, third surviving son in an aristocratic Irish family. His father, Garret, was the first earl of Mornington while his mother, Anne, was the eldest daughter of Arthur Hill, first Viscount Dungannon. An unhappy, lonely boy, Wellington exhibited few of the...