John Dawson, 2nd Earl Of Portarlington

Colonel John Dawson, 2nd Earl of Portarlington, was born on 26 February 1781. He was the son of John Dawson, 1st Earl of Portarlington, who was created Earl of Portarlington in 1785, and Lady Caroline Stuart, the fifth daughter of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. Dawson's place of death was at his residence in Lambeth, London, on 28 December 1845.

His early military career commenced in March 1798 when he was appointed as an ensign in the 20th Foot. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in December of the same year. On 24 March 1800, he became a captain in the 46th Foot before transferring to the 23rd Light Dragoons. Dawson served as a major in the 4th Garrison Battalion and as a lieutenant colonel in the 10th Foot. He returned to the 23rd Dragoons on 6 April 1809.

Dawson participated in the Peninsular Campaign, notably fighting at the Battle of Talavera. During the Waterloo campaign, he commanded his regiment at the Battle of Quatre Bras on 16–17 June 1815. However, he did not appear at the head of his dragoons on the morning of the Battle of Waterloo, the following day. The reasons for his absence are uncertain, with theories suggesting he might have been advised by a surgeon not to participate, or that he went to Brussels or elsewhere that evening. A different account attributes his absence to the negligence of a servant who overslept, preventing him from being ready in time. Toward the end of the Battle of Waterloo, Dawson joined the 18th Hussars and participated in Major General Sir Hussey Vivian's charge. Soon after, he resigned from the army.

Through his friendship with the Prince Regent, later King George IV, Dawson was offered a cornetcy in the 23rd Dragoons. He accepted the position and was appointed aide-de-camp to the king, an appointment that conferred the rank of colonel.

Dawson was unmarried and had no children. Upon his death, the earldom was inherited by his nephew, Henry Dawson-Damer, 3rd Earl of Portarlington, who lived from 1822 to 1889. Dawson is interred in Catacomb B at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.