A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Colchester, Charles
COLCHESTER Lord, formerly Abbot. (Captain, 1826. f-p., 16; h-p., 20.)
The Right Honourable Charles Lord Colchester, born 12 March, 1798, is eldest son of the late Lord Colchester, a distinguished lawyer, who, previously to his elevation to the peerage, had filled the high appointments of Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, Keeper of the Privy Seal in that part of the United Kingdom, and Speaker of the House of Commons, by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir Philip Gibbes, Bart. He succeeded his father 9 May, 1829.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 April, 1811, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Revenge 74, Capt. John Nash, bearing the flag off Cadiz of the Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge; came home, in June, 1812, in the Warspite 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood; then entered the Royal Naval College, where he remained until Oct. 1813; and, after a re-attachment for short periods to various ships, joined, early in 1814, the Bacchante 38, Capts. Sir Wm. Hoste and Fras. Stanfell. With the latter officer he sailed for North America, where, in Sept. following, he attended an expedition to the Penobscot under Sir John Sherbrook and Rear-Admiral Griffith. On becoming attached, in Doc. 1815, to the Alceste 38, Capt. Murray Maxwell, he accompanied Lord Amherst to China, and was there wrecked 18 Feb. 1817. He immediately returned home, and, within three mouths of passing his examination, was promoted, from the Glasgow 40, Capt. Hon. Anthony Maitland, to the rank of Lieutenant, by commission dated 15 Sept. 1817. In that capacity Mr. Abbot was employed in the Liffey 50, Capt. Hon. Henry Duncan, on different particular services, from 22 June, 1818, until invested, 27 Jan. 1821, with the command of the Racehorse sloop, in the Mediterranean. He next joined, 9 April, 1823, the Columbine 18, which he lost, off Sapienza, near the Morea, 25 Jan. 1824. On 30 Nov. following he was commissioned to the Rose 18, and, returning to the Mediterranean, continued on that station until posted 26 Jan. 1826. Lord Colchester’s last appointment was, 9 Oct. 1829, to the Volage 28, in which he escorted the ex Emperor and Empress of Brazil to Cherbourg in April, 1831, and was employed during the winter of 1832 in enforcing the Dutch embargo. He has been on half-pay since Jan. 1833.
His Lordship is Senior Captain of 1826. He married, 3 Feb. 1836, the Hon. Elizabeth Law, sister of the Earl of Ellenborough, late First Lord of the Admiralty, and sister-in-law of Admiral Lord Colville. By that lady he has issue. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.