Charles Abbot, 2nd Baron Colchester

Admiral Charles Abbot, 2nd Baron Colchester PC (12 March 1798 – 18 October 1867), known as Charles Abbot before 1829, was a British naval commander and Conservative politician.

The Right Honourable
The Lord Colchester
PC
Paymaster General and
Vice-President of the Board of Trade
In office
27 February 1852 – 17 December 1852
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Derby
Preceded byThe Lord Stanley of Alderley
Succeeded byThe Lord Stanley of Alderley
Postmaster General
In office
13 March 1858 – 11 June 1859
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Derby
Preceded byThe Duke of Argyll
Succeeded byThe Earl of Elgin
Personal details
Born12 March 1798 (1798-03-12)
Died18 October 1867 (1867-10-19) (aged 69)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)Hon. Elizabeth Law
(d. 1883)

Background and education

Colchester was the son of Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Philip Gibbes, 1st Baronet. He was educated at Westminster School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

Seaou-Koo-Shan (Little Orphan Hill) in the Yangtse-Kiang river in 1816, from a sketch by Abbot

Colchester served in the Royal Navy from 1811. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1854, to Vice-Admiral in 1860 and to Admiral on the Reserved List in 1864.[1]

Political career

Colchester succeeded to his father's peerage in 1829 and entered the House of Lords. However, it was not until 1835 that he made his maiden speech.[2] He served under the Earl of Derby as Paymaster General and Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1852[3] and as Postmaster General between 1858 and 1859. In 1852 he was sworn of the Privy Council.[4] Apart from his naval and political career he was also President of the Royal Geographical Society between 1845 and 1847. On 7 June 1853 the University of Oxford conferred on him a DCL.[5]

Family

Lord Colchester married the Hon. Elizabeth Susan, daughter of Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough, in 1836. He died in October 1867, aged 69, and was succeeded in the barony by his son, Reginald. Lady Colchester died in March 1883.

References
  1. "No. 22806". The London Gazette. 12 January 1864. p. 157.
  2. Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) Mr Charles Abbot
  3. "No. 21297". The London Gazette. 2 March 1852. p. 671.
  4. "No. 21296". The London Gazette. 27 February 1852. p. 633.
  5. Foster, Joseph (1888–1892). "Abbot, Charles (2)" . Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715–1886. Oxford: Parker and Co – via Wikisource.
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