Lieutenant Francis de Burgh
(1838-1874)
[1860]

Volume 1, page 89, sitting 558.

[Identified only as ‘Mr de Burgh’ in the Silvy books, the album in which this carte was found suggested that the sitter was a close relation of Reverend Robert Lill de Burgh. The likeliest candidate is his nephew, Francis de Burgh.]

Born in London on 5 May 1838, Francis de Burgh was the son of Hubert de Burgh of Brook Street. He was baptised at St George’s Hanover Square on 6 July 1838. His mother was Marianne née Tollemache, sixth daughter of Vice-Admiral John Richard Tollemache. His paternal uncle was Reverend Robert Lill de Burgh, who also sat for Silvy.

Francis de Burgh joined the 11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars as a Cornet on 17 March 1858. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant by purchase on 30 August 1859.

When the census was taken in 1861 he was living with one servant at 242 City Road, Manchester. He gave ‘Lieut. 11th Hussars (Army)’ as his profession.’

Ten years later he was living, aged 34, with his father Lieutenant-Colonel Hubert de Burgh, at 32 Hans Place, Knightsbridge. His mother Marianne was living at 61 Eccleston Square in Pimlico with two daughters and four servants. Francis entered nothing on the census form for his rank or profession.

Lieutenant-Colonel Hubert de Burgh died at 32 Hans Place the following year, leaving an estate valued at £3000.

Francis de Burgh ‘late of West Drayton in the County of Middlesex’ died unmarried in Paris at 19 rue de Berri at nine o’clock in the morning on 17 April 1874. The French record of his death describes him as a ‘rentier’ [English: annuitant]. He left an estate valued at £14,000.

[From an album compiled by Arthur Rickards, son of solicitor Edward Henry Rickards. From the bookplate, Arthur seems to have started the album in 1864 when he was 21 years old.]