Arbuthnot went to India in 1868, and was actively employed in the Anglo-Afghan War. In his personal life, he married Caroline Charlotte Clarke on 27 October 1868. She had been born in Barbados in 1845–6, where her father, William Clarke, was a doctor.
On his return to England in 1880, Arbuthnot was appointed deputy adjutant-general of artillery, then inspector-general of artillery, and finally president of the ordinance committee. According to his entry in the Dictionary of National Biography, "his firmness and justice made him a highly respected administrator".[1]
Arbuthnot returned to India in 1886, to serve from February as Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army and then from December as Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army.[2] He served as senior military adviser for the Madras Presidency until 1890. He was appointed Colonel Commandant, Royal Artillery in 1893.[3]
Later life
Arbuthnot died on 14 April 1899, survived by his wife and children. One son, Alexander George Arbuthnot (died 3 May 1961), served with the Field Artillery, rising to the rank of brigadier general. A grandson, Charles Crombie, was a decorated flying ace of the Second World War.[4]
