George Finch (politician, born 1794)

George Somerset Finch (né Thompson 1794 – 29 June 1870), of Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland, was a British landowner and politician.

Background edit

Finch was the illegitimate son of George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea and Mrs Phoebe Thompson and was educated at Harrow School (1805–11), Trinity College, Cambridge (1811)^[1] In 1808 he was granted a licence to use the Finch arms.^[2] On his father's death in 1826, the title went to his first cousin 10th Earl of Winchilsea, but the large Finch estate was not entailed and was given to him despite his illegitimacy, therefore he inherited substantial estates including the Earls of Winchilsea seat at Burley-on-the-Hill House near Oakham, Rutland and a large fortune. His estate generated an income of £29,000 a year.^[3]

Political career edit

Finch sat as Member of Parliament for Lymington between 1820 and 1821, for Stamford between 1832 and 1837 and for Rutland between 1846 and 1847.^[4]

He was High Sheriff of Rutland for 1829–30.^[4]

Family edit

Finch was twice married. He married firstly, Jane, daughter of Vice-Admiral John Richard Delap Tollemache, in 1819. After her early death in 1821^[2] he married secondly Lady Louisa, daughter of Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, in 1832, with whom he had 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Finch died in June 1870. Lady Louisa survived him by over twenty years and died in August 1892. Burley House passed to his son George, who was also a politician.^[4]

Burley House from the drive

References edit

^ "Finch (formerly Thompson), George (FNC811G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 18 February 2024. missing name.
^ ^a ^b and the Middle Temple (1817).The Finch family at clutch.open.ac.uk
^ Bateman, John (1883). The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland; a list of all owners of three thousand acres and upwards ... also, one thousand three hundred owners of two thousand acres and upwards in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, their acreage and income from land culled from The modern Domesday book . Robarts - University of Toronto. London, Harrison.
^ ^a ^b ^c "FINCH, George (1794-1870), of Burley-on-the-Hill, nr. Oakham, Rutland". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 28 January 2018.

External links edit

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by George Finch

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, Bt William Manning	Member of Parliament for Lymington 1820–1821 With: Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, Bt	Succeeded by Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, Bt William Manning
Preceded by Lord Thomas Cecil Charles Tennyson	Member of Parliament for Stamford 1832–1837 With: Thomas Chaplin	Succeeded by Thomas Chaplin The Marquess of Granby
Preceded by Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt The Viscount Downe	Member of Parliament for Rutland 1846–1847 With: Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt	Succeeded by Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt Hon. Gerard Noel

[acad-1] "Finch (formerly Thompson), George (FNC811G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 18 February 2024. missing name.

[clutch.open.ac.uk-2] the Middle Temple (1817).The Finch family at clutch.open.ac.uk

[:0-3] Bateman, John (1883). The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland; a list of all owners of three thousand acres and upwards ... also, one thousand three hundred owners of two thousand acres and upwards in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, their acreage and income from land culled from The modern Domesday book . Robarts - University of Toronto. London, Harrison.

[HoP-4] "FINCH, George (1794-1870), of Burley-on-the-Hill, nr. Oakham, Rutland". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 28 January 2018.

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