Anon
Sir George Augustus Elliott
London, J. Walker June 30th. 1783
Engraving
180 x 115 mm
£55
Gen Eliott was appointed Governor of Gibraltar, 25 May 1777, succeeding Robert Boyd, the acting Governor. He oversaw a number of improvements to the defences of the peninsular. In July 1779, Gibraltar was besieged by the French and Spanish. By August, it was very apparent that the Spanish intended to starve the garrison. On 13 September 1782, the French and Spanish initiated a grand attack, involving 100,000 men, 48 ships and 450 cannon. Under great duress, the Garrison held his position and, by 1783, the siege was finishing. On 8 January 1783, the British Parliament sent their official thanks to Gen Eliott and he was nominated a Knight of the Bath. By 6 February 1783, the siege was over. Sir George Elliot returned to England in 1787. He was created Lord Heathfield, Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar on 6 July 1787. He owned Bayley Park, a country house in the village of Heathfield, Sussex, which is from where he took his title. After his death, Bayley Park was renamed Heathfield Park.
