The King's Rake

Beauing, belling, dancing, drinking,

Breaking windows, cursing, sinking

Every raking, never thinking,

Live the Rakes of Mallow,

Spending faster than it comes,

Beating waiter's bailiffs, duns,

Bacchus' true begotten sons,

Live the Rakes of Mallow.

And so begin the lyrics of the mid-18th-century song that remains in today's culture as an international classic, "The Rakes of Mallow." This song tells of the rakes from the farming town of Mallow, about 20 miles north of the city of Cork. What exactly is a rake? Although Mallow is a farming town, we aren't talking about the gardening tool. The other rake is an old-fashioned term for a person who indulges in drinking, gambling, womanizing, and rowdy behavior — traits both celebrated and condemned in Georgian England. This brings us to the rake in this story—the complex and never uninteresting George Hanger...

The Rake at Dawn

George Hanger was born near Berkshire, England, around 1751. His father was Gabriel, the 3rd Baron Coleraine, an Irish peer. As the third son of an upper-class noble, it was almost destined that he would pursue a military career. Hanger was educated at Eton and then spent a year at the University of Göttingen in Hannover, Germany. 

A bright student, Hanger had a rakish appearance and enjoyed the proverbial wine, women, and gambling—not necessarily in that order. He allegedly fought three duels by the age of 20 and was reputed to be an excellent shot. While in Germany, Hanger observed the legendary Prussian Army of Frederick the Great during maneuvers and decided then and there to follow a military path. 

In January 1771, he was appointed an ensign in the 1st Foot Guards, a prestigious regiment of the household troops. Hanger performed well but resigned after being passed over for a promotion just four years later. Early signs of his lifestyle began to surface.

George Hanger

Soldier for Hire

Hanger's German contacts served him well, and he soon received a captain's commission in the Feldjäger Korps of the forces of the Landgrave (Elector) of Hesse-Kassel, another elite unit. I think we know where this is going... It was as part of this group of young Teutonic aristocrats that Hanger sailed for America when the Landgrave "rented" his troops to King George III. 

Leaving Portsmouth in March 1776, young Hanger arrived just in time for some of the most "fun" episodes for crown forces during the entire eight-year struggle. He played a role in the relentless campaigns that swept the rebels from New York and the Jerseys in 1776, as well as in the less glamorous but equally brutal skirmishes of 1777. His performance was so impressive that he took command of an elite Hessian Jaeger (light infantry) company recruited from all the Hessian regiments in the army. 

According to reports, Hanger distinguished himself in the months that followed. His unit undertook much of the screening, patrolling, and small-scale fighting around Kingsbridge, Spuyten Duyvil, and Westchester. Around this time, he learned that his estate back in Britain had gone into foreclosure, and through a series of misfortunes, he found himself in dire financial straits. Our young hero had become a self-proclaimed "soldier of fortune,"

Hanger became a master of light infantry

An Unlikely Spy

When the British occupation of Newport, Rhode Island, ended in 1779, Hanger was chosen by the British commander in chief, General Henry Clinton, to undertake a daring reconnaissance mission to see if the American occupiers had left their defenses vulnerable for reconquest. He sailed 150 miles north from the mouth of New York Harbor on a frigate and led a twelve-man longboat into dangerous waters during a bold night raid. He captured a prisoner and returned to New York with him. Hanger was later criticized in American papers when the prisoner unexpectedly fell ill and died.

An unlikely Hanger sails on a secret mission
 to Rhode Island: espionage

Moving South

Patrick Ferguson
 - a badass

Later, Hanger took command of a mix of rifle and musket units and was seconded to the renowned "counter-guerrilla" Major Patrick Ferguson, one of the tough British officers of the war whose death at King's Mountain signaled the beginning of the end in the South. But I digress. With Ferguson, Hanger sailed to the Carolinas under General Henry Clinton in the spring of 1780, marking the start of the "southern strategy." After a brief stint as Clinton's aide-de-camp and then inspector of militia under Ferguson, the ever-adaptable Hanger managed to transfer to Banastre Tarleton's British Legion. The two hard-drinking, rough-and-tumble aristocrats hit it off, and Tarleton made Hanger his deputy. Hanger joined the green-jacketed band of Loyalist regulars that would become infamous under Tarleton.

Infamous Banastre Tarleton
Hanger's mentor and commander

The Legion

Lord Charles Cornwallis

The Legion led Major General Charles Cornwallis's invasion of North Carolina. When Tarleton was struck down by yellow fever, Hanger took command. Although an accomplished infantry fighter and dependable deputy, Hanger struggled with the cavalry, which was the vital strike force of Tarleton's Legion. 

He allowed himself to be ambushed at Wahab Plantation on September 21, 1780, where a partisan force under American Colonel William Davie attacked early in the evening. Surprised and overwhelmed, Hanger suffered 12 killed, 47 wounded, and almost 100 valuable horses captured. 

Tasked with leading the British advance against Charlotte less than a week later, he faltered again. This time, he let his horsemen become separated from their supporting infantry. Once more, Davie outmaneuvered him when Hanger's cavalry charged recklessly into the town without support. 

Hanger led several assaults against Davie's American riflemen, who were defending behind a wall. Hanger's men started to fall to the precise fire. Cornwallis himself had to step in to stabilize the situation. Hanger was severely wounded during the fight and later contracted yellow fever. Sick and injured, he was sent to the Bahamas (of all places) to recover.

Hanger led the Legion's cavalry to savage fighting and defeat
at Charlotte

Dead Ender?

Guy Carleton

When he recovered sufficiently, Hanger returned to New York in the summer of 1781 and resumed garrison duties. As the key to Britain's control over North America, New York was the center of attention, and Hanger found himself right back in the middle of things. He also returned to a city filled with bars, brothels, and rooms for him to enjoy during his downtime from drilling troops or patrolling the outskirts. 

One might think our young rake had the best of both worlds during this time. Ever the soldier, he sailed with General Clinton's relief force, aiming to rescue Cornwallis's trapped army at Yorktown. Upon hearing of the surrender, he went back to the city with the rest of the fleet. 

As peace negotiations settled on terms, Hanger took on another role: resettling members of the Legion. For that, he made a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to find land and housing for the loyalists who chose not to go to England. Mission accomplished, he returned to New York. One has to see George as a proverbial dead-ender. He stayed with one of the last British units to evacuate the city, sailing with the final British commander and governor in North America, General Guy Carleton.

Hanger, "Forrest Gump-like," manages to
witness the American Revolution's climax

The Bad Boy of Georgian England

Once home, Hanger resumed the life of a flamboyant party boy. He became a social companion to another rake, the Prince of Wales, who later became King George IV. The prince enjoyed Hanger's rakish ways. Hanger seemed to have become famous simply for being famous — the subject of much satire and ridicule in what would be today's tabloids. His reckless lifestyle landed him in debtor's prison, where he spent two years (1798-1800). While in prison, he turned to writing and produced his memoirs there.

Hanger and his buddy, the Prince of Wales
attended many a party

When he left, he became a coal merchant (in which he was quite successful) but continued his addiction to gambling and partying around London. Throughout, Hanger flaunted contemporary mores, cavorting openly with women of all kinds, keeping a peculiar collection of dogs, cats, and monkeys, and generally thumbing his nose at the upper crust and middle class. One of his celebrated exploits was arranging a cross-country race between a flock of turkeys and a flock of geese!

Cartoon satire of Hanger

At the same time, he learned to leverage some of his strengths as a pamphleteer—similar to bloggers today. Reinventing himself as a subject matter expert, he published pamphlets on military topics, gambling, hunting, and shooting. Hanger engaged in public disputes over military policy during the Napoleonic Wars. He also wrote humorous advice columns on various subjects, most famously about the fairer sex. His antics and opinions were closely followed by the media of his time. In 1814, he was offered the barony of Coleraine but declined it to continue his "celebrated" lifestyle in London.

Cartoon satire of Hanger

The Legacy

Cartoon satire of Hanger

Despite his hard lifestyle, Hanger kept up his reputation as a notorious figure in town, a military expert, and a celebrated eccentric until his death in London on March 31, 1824. He left behind a second wife, possibly his housekeeper, and their son, who was denied his father's peerage. George Hanger was undoubtedly one of the more complex men of his era and certainly one of the most intriguing, if not amusing.

 Eventually, his notoriety caught up with him. The king distanced himself from him, high society shunned him, and the press ridiculed him. Yet, in many ways, he embodied his class and era: a curious mix of breeding, talent, courage, rapacity, and culture. It's a pity he didn't settle in America...

George Hanger, 4th Baron Coleraine?