Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey

The Earl Grey

The Earl Grey
Nickname(s)No-flint Grey
Born(1729-10-23)23 October 1729
Northumberland, Great Britain
Died14 November 1807(1807-11-14) (aged 78)
AllegianceGreat Britain
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1744–1799
RankGeneral
Battles / wars
AwardsKB
RelationsCharles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (son)
George Grey, 1st Baronet (son)
Other workGovernor of Guernsey

Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, KB, PC (circa 23 October 1729 – 14 November 1807) was a British Army general in the 18th century and a scion of the noble House of Grey. He was a distinguished soldier in a generation of exceptionally capable military personnel, serving crucially in the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

He served in the American War of Independence (1775–1783), rising to be Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in America. Following the Battle of Paoli in Pennsylvania in 1777 he became known as "No-flint Grey" for reputedly ordering his men to extract the flints from their muskets during a night approach and to fight with bayonets only. He later fought in the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802), capturing Martinique as leverage to force the Treaty of Amiens, and was appointed as Governor of Guernsey.