Charles Abbot, 2nd Baron Colchester explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Right Honourable
The Lord Colchester
Honorific-Suffix:PC
Order1:Paymaster General and
Vice-President of the Board of Trade
Term Start1:27 February 1852
Term End1:17 December 1852
Monarch1:Victoria
Primeminister1:The Earl of Derby
Predecessor1:The Lord Stanley of Alderley
Successor1:The Lord Stanley of Alderley
Order2:Postmaster General
Term Start2:13 March 1858
Term End2:11 June 1859
Monarch2:Victoria
Primeminister2:The Earl of Derby
Predecessor2:The Duke of Argyll
Successor2:The Earl of Elgin
Nationality:British
Spouse:Hon. Elizabeth Law
(d. 1883)

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.

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.

Naval career

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.

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.[1] He served under the Earl of Derby as Paymaster General and Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1852 and as Postmaster General between 1858 and 1859. In 1852 he was sworn of the Privy Council. 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.

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

Notes and References

  1. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-charles-abbot/index.html Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) Mr Charles Abbot