Wathen was born on 2 March 1762 in London to the well-known London physician Samuel Wathen and his wife Elizabeth Malthus, the aunt of Rev. Thomas Robert Malthus. He served with distinction as a junior army officer in the Siege of Gibraltar (1782), and then in Jamaica. He left the military, probably around 1789, with the rank of brevet Major, which meant that he left before the promotion had been finalized. He went on to become a well-known actor, singer and theatre manager, performing under the stage name of 'Captain Wathen', it is said to the derision of his fellow actors. Among his early acting partners was the famous Lord Barrymore (1769-1793). George's military career, together with his fame as an actor and stage manager, enabled him to receive an appointment in 1841 as a Military Knight of Windsor (i.e., an honorary body guard of the king) and presumably around this time he became 'Major Wathen'. He died on 21 April 1849, and was buried as Major Wathen in Windsor Castle.