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.

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 College and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

Naval career

Colchester served in the Royal Navy. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1854, to Vice-Admiral in 1860 and to Admiral in 1854.

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^[2] and as Postmaster General between 1858 and 1859. In 1852 he was sworn of the Privy Council.^[3] Apart from his naval and political career he was also President of the Royal Geographical Society between 1845 and 1847. On 7 June 1853 he was conferred a DCL by the University of Oxford.^[4]

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

• O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). " Colchester, Charles".  A Naval Biographical Dictionary. John Murray. Wikisource. 

Paymasters General
Parnell Stanley Knatchbull Baring Macaulay Granville Stanley Colchester Stanley Pleydell-Bouverie Lowe Donoughmore Lovaine Wilson Cowper Hutt Goschen Monsell Cave Dufferin Childers Adam Cave Plunket Wolverton Beauchamp Thurlow Beauchamp Brownlow Jersey Windsor Seale-Hayne Hopetoun Marlborough Crossley Causton Ashby Strachie Newton Henderson Compton-Rickett Walters vacant Chamberlain Joynson-Hicks Boyd-Carpenter Gosling vacant Sutherland Onslow Arnold vacant Walters Rochester Hutchison Munster Winterton vacant Cranborne vacant Hankey Jowitt Cherwell vacant Greenwood Marquand Addison Macdonald Cherwell Selkirk vacant Monckton Maulding Mills Brooke Boyd-Carpenter Wigg vacant Shackleton Hart Lever Eccles Macmillan Dell Williams A. Maude Pym Parkinson Gummer Clarke Brooke Caithness Ryder Belstead Cope Heathcoat-Amory Willetts Bates Robinson Primarolo Jowell F. Maude Hancock

Presidents of the Royal Geographical Society
19th century	Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich George Murray Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet William Richard Hamilton George Bellas Greenough Roderick Murchison Charles Abbot, 2nd Baron Colchester W. J. Hamilton William Henry Smyth Roderick Murchison Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere Frederick William Beechey Roderick Murchison Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton Roderick Murchison Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baronet Henry Bartle Frere Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baronet Rutherford Alcock Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook Henry Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne Richard Strachey Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff Sir Clements Robert Markham
20th century	George Taubman Goldie Leonard Darwin George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston Douglas Freshfield Thomas Holdich Francis Younghusband Lawrence Dundas, Earl of Ronaldshay David George Hogarth Charles Close William Goodenough Percy Zachariah Cox Henry Balfour Philip Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode George Clark Francis Rodd, 2nd Baron Rennell Harry Lindsay James Wordie James Marshall-Cornwall Roger Nathan, 2nd Baron Nathan Raymond Priestley Dudley Stamp Gilbert Laithwaite Edmund Irving Edward Shackleton, Baron Shackleton Duncan Cumming John Hunt, Baron Hunt Michael Wise Vivian Fuchs George Bishop Roger Chorley, 2nd Baron Chorley Crispin Tickell George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe John Palmer, 4th Earl of Selborne
21st century	Ronald Urwick Cooke Neil Cossons Gordon Conway Michael Palin Judith Rees