Robert Manners (1758–1823)

Robert Manners (2 January 1758 – 9 June 1823) was a British soldier and Member of Parliament.

He was the eldest son of General Lord Robert Manners by his wife Mary Digges, and succeeded to his father's estate at Bloxholm in Lincolnshire. He was educated at Caen and took the Grand Tour.

He joined the Army as a Cornet in the 3rd Dragoons in 1778, and became a Captain in the 86th Foot in 1779 and a Major in the 80th Foot on 28 December 1782. On 19 March 1783 he was made an equerry to the King and on 24 April 1784 was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in the 1st Battalion 84th Regiment of Foot. In the general election of that year he was elected to Parliament for Great Bedwyn through the influence of Lord Ailesbury, the expenses of the election (£2500, or the equivalent of £ today) being paid by George Rose out of Government secret funds. After a period on half-pay, he joined the 3rd Foot Guards as Captain-Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Colonel on 24 February 1787. He was considered as a replacement for Sir Henry Peyton, MP for Cambridgeshire, on that gentleman's death in 1789, but left Parliament at the general election in 1790.

He returned to Parliament in a by-election for Cambridge on 12 February 1791, and was promoted to Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel in the 3rd Foot Guards that year. He became a Colonel in the Army in 1794, a Major-General in 1796, Colonel-Commandant of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Regiment of Foot on 10 August 1799 then Colonel of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot on 12 November. On 6 January 1801 he was made Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal to the King, and was promoted to Lieutenant-General on 1 October 1803. After the establishment of the Regency, he was appointed Clerk Marshal in the King's Household at Windsor on 19 February 1812 and was promoted to full General in 1813. He retired from Parliament at the 1820 general election.

General Manners continued as Colonel of the 30th Foot until his death. He was unmarried, but left issue by Mary Ann Goodchild (1780–1854). His elder sister Mary married William Hamilton Nisbet and was the mother of Mary Nisbet, first wife of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin.