Richard Mansergh St. George’s Commission

The British Army officers who defended King George III’s realm carried commissions like this one, which bears the king’s wax seal and signature. In the minds of these officers, they were carrying out the will of King George III and his elected government. Officers typically purchased commissions, which officially established their rank in the army. Richard Mansergh St. George, a member of the Irish landed gentry, purchased this ensign’s commission (the lowest rank for a commissioned officer in an infantry regiment) in April 1776. He sailed for America that summer. Approximately one-third of the officers who served in the British Army in America were Irish.

Object Details

• Commission Document
  London, England
  April 15, 1776
  Paper, Ink, Wax
  Museum of the American Revolution, Acquired with funding from Ernest C. Downs and from the Irish Georgian Society and its members
  2021.01.01