John Manners, Marquess of Granby (1721-1770)
NAM 1988-09-10
'The mob’s hero.' - Horace Walpole
John Manners was an unlikely hero. As a young man Granby made his mark as an enthusiastic huntsman, racegoer and gambler. King George II denounced him as ‘a sot, a bully, that does nothing but drink and quarrel’.
Marquess of Granby relieving a sick soldier, 1765. NAM 1963-07-31
If Granby played hard, he worked hard too. He showed himself to be an able and frequently victorious commander and he was never afraid to lead by example from the front. The cavalry charge which he led against the French at the Battle of Warburg on 31 July 1760 caused his hat and wig to blow off, giving rise to the expression ‘... to go at [something] bald-headed’.
But Granby had a reputation for looking after his men, and the public idolized him for this common touch as much as for his personal bravery. Engravings of this painting showing Granby giving alms to a sick soldier sold hand over fist, but perhaps the most enduring testament to his popularity is the number of pubs opened by retired soldiers that were and still are named after him.
