Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester

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Charles Abbot

Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester (born October 14, 1757 in Abingdon , † May 8, 1829 ) was a British politician and speaker of the House of Commons .

Family and career

The son of a school principal was through his mother's first marriage a half-brother of the philosopher and founder of utilitarianism , Jeremy Bentham .

After attending Westminster School, he completed a study of law at the College of Christ Church (Oxford) . There he not only won an award from the Chancellor for composing Latin verses , but also a scholarship as the best graduate of his year with a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) . In 1783 he was admitted to the bar ( barrister ). On February 14, 1793, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society ( FRS ) because of his scientific achievements . In 1795 he was a regulatory officer at the then Supreme Court (King's Bench) for a few months.

Political career

MP

In June 1795 he began his political career with election as deputies of the lower house (House of Commons). There he represented the constituency of Helston until 1802 thanks to the influence of Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds . After just one year, he made a name for himself as a reformer as a member of two committees. In 1802 he was a member of the Heytesbury constituency for a short time before becoming a member of the Woodstock constituency that same year . After just four years, however, he became a member of the constituency of Oxford University , which he represented in the House of Commons until 1817.

Speaker of Parliament and member of the House of Lords

In March 1801 he was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland in the cabinet of Prime Minister Henry Addington and thus held the key position of the British administration for Ireland in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which was only created on January 1, 1801.

In February 1802, he was elected to succeed Sir John Mitford However, the spokesman ( Speaker elected) of the House of Commons. He held this office to everyone's satisfaction until 1817, when a serious skin disease ( erysipelas ) forced him to resign from this office.

After his resignation he was raised to hereditary nobility . He carried the title Baron Colchester and as such belonged to the House of Lords .

His son Charles Abbot, who followed him as 2nd Baron Colchester in 1829, was later Paymaster General and Postmaster General.

Publications

literature

Web links

predecessor Office successor
New title created Baron Colchester
1817–1829 		Charles Abbot
personal data
SURNAME Abbot, Charles, 1st Baron Colchester
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Colchester, Charles Abbot 1st Baron
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British politician and Speaker of the House of Commons
DATE OF BIRTH October 14, 1757
PLACE OF BIRTH Abingdon (Oxfordshire)
DATE OF DEATH May 8, 1829