Lucan, George Charles Bingham, 3rd earl of

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Lucan, George Charles Bingham, 3rd earl of (1800–88). Born into an aristocratic family, George Bingham became an officer in the British army by purchase in 1816. After ten years of further purchase, he gained command of the 17th Lancers. Bingham had a reputation for personal bravery but was also ruthless and harsh. He relinquished his command in 1837, succeeding to the title of Lord Lucan two years later. Despite his lack of recent military experience, in 1854 Lucan was appointed to command a cavalry division for service against the Russians. Landing in the Crimea in September, the cavalry accompanied the rest of the army in an advance on Sebastopol; on 25 October, during the battle of Balaclava, Lucan's poor relations with his brother-in-law Lord Cardigan contributed to the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade’ under Cardigan's command. Lucan rose to the rank of field marshal in 1887.

John Pimlott

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