Tarleton history

Banastre Tarleton was educated with a view to becoming a barrister, but after being entered into one of the Inns of Court, having previously been to Oxford, he went into the Army with a commission as Court in the King's Dragoon Guards.

The war between England and her American colonies had broken out about this time. Young Tarleton obtained leave to accompany Lord Cornwallis who was taking out volunteers as re-inforcements. He took part in the capture of New York and other places, also in the seizure of General Lee. In the operations of January 1777, under Cornwallis, he was at the battle of Brandywine and the capture of Germantown and Philadelphia. he took part in Clintos march to New York and distinguished himself in the capture of Charlestown. In 1780 he defeated Burford at Waxhaws and gained honourable mention in despatches at Cornwallis' victory (1780) at Camden.

Returning to England in 1782 he found himself to be centre of attraction because all his heroic war involvements were reported back to the English Government. Making the most of this popularity, Tarleton led the life of a gay-man about town and successfully headed the poll at the election, thereafter representing Liverpool at Westminster for almost twenty two years.

When his parlimentary career ended in 1812, so did his associations with Liverpool, but his military career continued. He fought under Wellington in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. With his wife, (Susan Priscilla, daughter of Duke of Ancaster) he eventually took up residence in Herefordshire where he and Lady Tarleton lived until he died in his eightieth year. They had no children and so the title became extinct. In 1790 he was promoted to Colonel, Major General in 1794, General in 1812 and Baronet in 1815.

Known as “The Butcher General” General Tarleton’s bloodthirsty soldiering is portrayed in the film The Patriot starring Mel Gibson and Joely Richardson. Sir Banastre Tarleton's portrait was painted by Joshua Reynolds and a copy of this will be found in the bar.

The General Tarleton Inn was probably opened by one of the General's men from his regiment and permission would have been sought to name the Inn after his commanding officer, hence The General Tarleton Inn.