Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester

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

Family and career

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

After attending Westminster School, he graduated in law at the College of Christ Church (Oxford). There he not only won an award from the Registrar on the writing of Latin verse, but as the best graduate of his year as a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL ) a scholarship. In 1783 he was admitted as a lawyer ( barrister ). He was already on February 14, 1793 for his scientific achievements Fellow of the Royal Society ( FRS). In 1795 he was for a few months regulations official at the then Supreme Court (King 's Bench ).

Political career

Member of Parliament

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

Speaker of Parliament and a member of the Upper House

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

In February 1802, he was elected as the successor to Sir John Mitford, however, the speaker ( Speaker) of the House of Commons. This office he held to the general satisfaction of until 1817, when forced him a severe skin disease ( erysipelas ) to resign from the post.

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

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

Publications

• "The Diary and Correspondence of Charles Abbot, Lord Colchester: Speaker of the House of Commons 1802-1817 ", three volumes