George Gipps

Major Sir George Gipps (1791 – 28 February 1847) was Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Australia, for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship was during a period of great change for New South Wales and Australia, as well as for New Zealand, which was administered as part of New South Wales for much of this period. Settlers at the time were not happy with his move towards responsible government, although contemporaries at the Colonial Office found him to be an able administrator.

Early career

Gipps was born in 1791 at Ringwould, Kent, England, and was the son of the Rev. George Gipps. He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

In 1809 he joined the Royal Engineers and served in the Peninsular War as well as elsewhere in Europe (although he missed the Battle of Waterloo due to his posting in Ostend, Belgium where he was preparing fortifications).

In 1824 he joined the Colonial Service and served in the West Indies. He married Elizabeth Ramsay, the daughter of Major-General George Ramsay, in 1830. He and his wife had a son, Reginald Ramsay Gipps, who later became a general in the British Army.

George Gipps (disambiguation)

George Gipps was the Governor of New South Wales.

George Gipps may also refer to:

George Gipps (MP for Canterbury)

George Gipps (c. 1728-13 February 1800) was an English apothecary, hop merchant, banker and politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain between 1780 and 1796.

Gipps was the son of John Gipps, a staymaker of Ashford, and his wife Sarah Flint. He began as an apothecary at Canterbury but later became a hop merchant.

Gipps was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Canterbury in 1780 and held the seat to 1796. By 1790 he had given up the hop trade to become a banker in the firm Gipps, Simmons and Gipps of Canterbury. He had also taken the lease of Hall Place in Harbledown. The election of 28 May 1796 was declared void in March 1797 and he was reinstated as MP for Canterbury and remained until 1800.

Gipps married firstly Elizabeth Johanna Roberts daughter of John Roberts of Harbledown on 2 August 1755. He married secondly on 27 November 1780 Sarah Stanton, daughter of William Stanton. He married thirdly Elizabeth Lawrence, daughter of Thomas Lawrence MD on 18 January 1792.