One of the most important British generals of the 18th century. He was the fourth son of Sir Henry Grey, Bt., of Howick in
Northumberland.
Charles received his first military commission in 1744. In the
Seven Years' War, he served as adjutant in the staff of
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick and later of
Wilhelm, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe during the
Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762).
During the
American War of Independence he was one of the more successful army leaders. He earned the nickname "No-flint Grey" after the
Paoli Massacre nighttime attack of 1777, before which he had collected
flints from the
muskets of his troops before they engaged the American revolutionaries using
bayonets, thus maintaining the element of surprise. Grey used the same tactic in 1778 in the
Baylor Massacre. He later was appointed commander-in-chief of the British troops in America, but hostilities were concluded before he could take command.
In acknowledgment of his service, Grey was raised in January 1801 to the peerage as
Baron Grey of Howick. In 1806, he was created
Earl Grey and
Viscount Howick. He died the next year, at the age of 78.
In 1762, Grey married Elizabeth Grey (1744-1822), the daughter of George Grey of
Southwick (1713-1746), their sons were:
• Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British statesman and prime minister after whom
Earl Grey tea is named.
• George Grey (1767 - 1828), whose daughter Hannah Jean married
Sir Henry Thompson, 3rd Baronet • William Grey (1777 - 1817)
• Edward Grey (1782 - 1837)
He was also an ancestor of
Prime Ministers Anthony Eden and
Alec Douglas-Home, and of
Eliza Courtney and
Diana, Princess of Wales.