Catalogue description Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester: Papers

Charles Abbot was the son of the Revd. Dr John Abbot. His mother Sarah Farr as a widow married in 1760 Jeremy Bentham, father of the famous jurist of the same name. Abbot was educated at Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford, being called to the bar in 1783. In 1794 he became clerk of the rules, King's Bench and a year later member of parliament for Helston Borough. In 1800 he was a member of the committee set up to inquire into the national records and his papers contain much correspondence in this connection. In 1801 he was designated Chief Secretary for Ireland, taking up his duties in May and arriving in Dublin in July. A few months later he was recalled to London and on 11th February 1802, as MP for Woodstock was elected Speaker, a post he held with distinction until 1817, receiving his peerage on retirement.

Abbot married Elizabeth, elder daughter of Sir Philip Gibbes, 1st baronet, in 1796 and the collection includes some of her correspondence and family papers. They had two sons, Charles and Philip.

Charles, 2nd Baron Colchester succeeded to the peerage on the death of his father in 1829. A naval officer, he was promoted admiral in 1864. His parliamentary career included the vice presidency of the Board of Trade and the postmaster generalship. He became a member of the Privy Council in 1852. He published in 1861 his father's diary and correspondence. His wife Elizabeth Susan was the daughter of Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough, Lord Chief Justice of England and sister of Edward, 1st earl, governor-general of India 1841-1844.

Through his marriage Lord Colchester became brother in law to Admiral Lord Colville of Culross, husband of Anne Law, sister of Lady Colchester. With another brother in law, the Hon. Henry Spencer Law, he was executor of the will of Lady Colville (d. 1852).

Reginald Charles Abbot, 3rd and last Baron Colchester succeeded to the peerage in 1867 and died in 1919. He was a barrister of Lincoln's Inn and charity commissioner from 1880-1883.

On his return from Ireland and election to the speakership, Charles Abbot bought the Kidbrooke estate near East Grinstead in Sussex, and his two successors inherited and lived in this property (the third baron moving away in due course). The family therefore had a long association with Sussex affairs and the papers contain much material connected with their residence in that county.