A short biography of Field Marshal the Viscount Combermere

In an anti-room in the Macclesfield Masonic Hall in Riseley Street, there is displayed, a spectacular battle honour from the Peninsular Wars when the British were fighting the French in Portugal and Spain during the first decades of the nineteenth century. The Battle Honour is taken from one of the decisive battles of the campaign, The Battle of Salamanca in 1812.

It was here that Stapleton Cotton, a brilliant general serving under the Duke of Wellington at the Battles of Salamanca, in Spain and Bhurtpore in India and was created Viscount Combermere for services to his country.

He served as Principal Cavalry General to the Duke of Wellington, and had a reputation as an heroic and brave leader. Victorian historians noted his capture of the fortress of Bhurtpore in India as his greatest achievement. He was the second son of Sir Robert Salisbury Cotton, Baronet of Combermere Abbey, Nantwich in Cheshire. His mother was of the Stapleton family of Llewenny Hall, Denbighshire, where Stapleton Cotton was born.  

The Stapleton and Cotton families had extensive interests in England, Wales and the West Indies, but Viscount Combermere spent most of his career in military and political circles. He later served as Governor General of Barbados, Commander in Chief of Ireland and India.

Field Marshall The Viscount Combermere
 

In 1852 he succeeded the Duke of Wellington as Constable of the Tower of London, and in 1855 received his Field Marshall's baton through his successful campaigns in Asia.

During peacetime
The Cheshire Agricultural Society (CAS) was founded in 1838 by the landowning gentry of Cheshire. The inspiration came from the founder President, Lord Combermere. He travelled much in England and observed better farming practice in the drier region of England than in his native Cheshire.

At the age of 65, Lord Combermere persuaded his fellow Cheshire landowners to set in motion a whole series of competitions to encourage better farming methods.  This spirit was also transferred to competitions for rural people to 'improve the moral and industrious way of life'. All this was to be incorporated into the CAS, which organised an elaborate system of competitions for farms of all sizes, all kind of crops, for live stock health and improvement, and for the well-being of the rural people.

In fact the social conscious of Lord Combermere was to group together into one organisation (CAS) all that the modern world expects from a whole variety of organisations that provide these services today viz; The Cheshire Show, National Farmers Union, Young Farmers Club, Churches, Parish Councils, government and Social Services, Best Kept Villages etc.

The CAS is fortunate to have written evidence of this period, as each selected judge had to submit a written report of the competition. Most of these rural activities and competitions can be traced back to Lord Combermere and his foresight, love and concern for rural Cheshire. It was appropriate therefore, that the CAS took a lead role to erect the distinguished statue of The Field Marshall which today can be seen outside of Chester Castle.

In 1864, Lord Combermere, a leading Cheshire Freemason, was installed as the Provincial Grand Master of Cheshire. It is hoped that the good works he began will continue to be perpetuated throughout the years by the members of the ancient and honourable lodge, which bears his illustrious name.