Constituency : Rye 1830, 1831-2, Westminster 1833-41, 1846-65
George was born in Ireland, the son of a small landowner and volunteered for the army in 1806. After service in India where he was promoted to lieutenant he took part in the Peninsular War then went to the United States in 1814 where he was quartermaster general and took part in two major battles. He soon won a reputation for reckless bravery. He fought as a captain at Waterloo after which he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. He first became involved in politics in 1826 when he helped the campaign of his friend Robert Otway Cave in Leicestershire. In 1830 he won a by-election at Rye as an independent Radical after a legal tussle but was defeated at the subsequent general election. He threw himself into the agitation for parliamentary reform and was accused of threatening to gather a military force in support of the bill. In 1831 disturbances in the constituency forced its patron to agree to a joint ticket and George was returned. He was defeated in 1832 due to boundary changes and went to Westminster where he again lost but was elected in a by-election in 1833 He went down in the Tory victory of 1841 but reclaimed the seat in 1847. At Palmerston's suggestion he was in command of the British Legion which fought to assist the Spanish Queen in 1835-7 after which he was knighted . At the cost of his health he fought in the Crimean War where he favoured a British retreat and attacked the mismanagement of the war. The French rated him the best of the British commanders.He supported his patron Palmerston in 1857.
George was known as the "Radical General". He favoured triennial parliaments and the ballot. He supported a reduction in the borough franchise below the £6 figure favoured by Russell.
George was a tall thin and swarthy-looking man described by one opponent as looking like an Italian assassin. He was a poor speaker which hampered his political career. He retired in 1865.
He died of bronchitis in 1870 aged 73.
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