Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester PC, FRS (14 October 1757 – 8 May 1829) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

barrister and statesman. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1802 and 1817.

Background and education

Abbot was born at Roysse Court, Abingdon, to Dr John Abbot, headmaster of

Abingdon School Abingdon School is an independent day and boarding school in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is the List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom, twentieth oldest Independent School (UK), independent British school. In May 202 ...

and rector of All Saints,

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

, and, by his mother's second marriage, step-brother of

Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham (; 4 February Dual dating, 1747/8 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. 5 February 1748 Old Style and New Style dates, N.S.– 6 June 1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of mo ...

. From

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

he passed to

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, where he matriculated on 14 June 1775. There he gained the

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

's prize for

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

verse as well as the

Vinerian Scholarship The Vinerian Scholarship is a scholarship given to the University of Oxford student who "gives the best performance in the examination for the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law". Currently, £2,500 is given to the winner of the scholarship, with an ...

. He was admitted to the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

on 14 October 1768 and was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

on 9 May 1783. Abbot was granted a BCL in 1783 and a DCL in 1793. On 14 February 1793, he became a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

Legal and political career

In 1795, after having practised twelve years as a barrister, and having published a treatise proposing the incorporation of the judicial system of

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

with that of England, he was appointed to the office previously held by his brother of clerk of the rules in the King's Bench; and in June of the same year he was elected Member of Parliament for

Helston Helston () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the The Lizard, Lizard Peninsula approximately east of Penzance and south-west of Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth.Ordnance Survey: ...

, through the influence of the Duke of Leeds. In 1796 Abbot commenced his career as a reformer in

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

by obtaining the appointment of two committees: one to report on the arrangements which then existed as to temporary laws or laws about to expire; and the other to devise methods for the better publication of new statutes. It was thanks to the work of the latter committee, and of a second committee which he proposed some years later, that copies of new statutes were subsequently routinely sent to all magistrates and municipal bodies. At a local level, he and Henry Richards (the other member returned for Helston) raised 200 guineas for the demolishing and rebuilding of the Helston coinage hall. Abbot's efforts also effected the establishment of the

Record Commission The Record Commissions were a series of six Royal Commissions of Great Britain and (from 1801) the United Kingdom which sat between 1800 and 1837 to inquire into the custody and public accessibility of the state archives. The Commissioners' work ...

; the reform of the system which had allowed the public money to lie for some time at long interest in the hands of the public accountants, by charging them with payment of interest; and, most important of all, the act for taking the first census of the United Kingdom, that of 1801. On the formation of the Addington ministry in March 1801, Abbot became

Chief Secretary for Ireland The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British Dublin Castle administration, administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Lieutenant, and officially the "Chief Secretar ...

and also Keeper of the Privy Seal of Ireland. In the February of the following year he was appointed Speaker of the House of Commons: at this point he stood down as Chief Secretary for Ireland, but he remained Keeper of the Privy Seal until his death. He served as Speaker until 1817, when an attack of

erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright- red rash, ...

compelled him to retire. The

House of Commons Library The House of Commons Library is the library and information resource of the lower house of the British Parliament. It was established in 1818, although its original 1828 construction was destroyed during the burning of Parliament in 1834. Th ...

traces its origins to his time as Speaker. He objected to the Lay College at Maynooth, leading to its suppression in 1814. In response to an address of the Commons, Abbot was raised to the peerage as Baron Colchester, of

in the County of Essex on 1 June 1817, with a pension of £4,000, of which £3,000 was to be continued to his heir. His speeches against the Roman Catholic claims were published in 1828.

Family

In 1796, he had married, in London, Elizabeth Gibbes (1760–1847), the elder daughter of

Sir Philip Gibbes, 1st Baronet Sir Philip Gibbes, 1st Baronet, also Gibbs (1731–1815) was a planter in Barbados. Life Gibbes was born in St James' Parish, Barbados, on 7 March 1731 and baptised that same year. His parents were Philip Gibbes (died 1763) and his wife Elizabeth ...

, of Springhead, Barbados, by whom he had two sons. He was succeeded by his elder son

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

, Postmaster General in 1858, and subsequently by his grandson Reginald Abbot, 3rd Baron Colchester, on whose death in 1919 the title became extinct.

References

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colchester, Charles Abbot, 1st Baron 1757 births 1829 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford 1 Peers of the United Kingdom created by George III Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Fellows of the Royal Society Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the University of Oxford People educated at Westminster School, London People from Abingdon-on-Thames Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles Abbot, Charles UK MPs who were granted peerages Commissioners of the Treasury for Ireland Chief secretaries for Ireland