Lichfield's gambling and lavish entertaining got him heavily into debt and he was forced to sell off the entire contents of his Shugborough Hall estate.
He had joined the part-time Staffordshire Yeomanry as a trooper in 1811 before being appointed captain of the Lichfield Troop on 3 August 1812. He was promoted to major on 27 September 1819 and to lieutenant-colonel and second-in-command on 17 December 1829. The regiment provided the escort when the Duchess of Kent and her daughter Princess Victoria visited him at Shugborough in 1832. He succeeded as lieutenant-colonel commandant of the regiment on 10 April 1833 and commanded it until his death,having served more than 40 years,over 20 of them in command. After his death the regiment erected a memorial to him in Lichfield Cathedral.[6]
Gambling
Anson was also known for his excessive gambling and lavish entertaining at his Shugborough Hall seat. He also purchased the estate at nearby Ranton,Staffordshire,where he built Abbey House and developed the estate into a great sporting centre. However,his extravagant lifestyle and gambling put him and the family into debts of £600,000 and led to Anson's financial collapse in 1842. The entire contents of Shugborough Hall were sold off to pay for the debts.[7][8][9] Abbey House at Ranton burned down in 1942. The ivy-covered ruins can still be seen.
Personal life
Louisa Philips,Countess of Lichfield (1800-1879) with two of her children by Sir George Hayter 1832
Lord Lichfield married Louisa Catherine,daughter of Nathaniel Philips,in 1819. They had four sons and four daughters,being:[10]
Lady Gwendoline Isabella Anna Maria Anson (1837–1912),who married 19 Apr 1865 Nicholas Power O'Shee,of Gardenmorris,co. Waterford (d. 30 Mar 1902),and had issue.[10]
Lord Lichfield died at his townhouse at 2 Stanhope Street in Mayfair,[1] aged 58,and is buried at St Michael and All Angels Church in Colwich,a short distance from Shugborough Hall.[10] He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son,Thomas. Lady Lichfield survived him by over 25 years and died in August 1879.
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