Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Pellew, George
PELLEW, GEORGE (1793–1866), theologian, third son of Edward Pellew, first viscount Exmouth [q. v.], was born at Flushing, Cornwall, in April 1793. He was educated at Eton from 1808 to 1811, and admitted as gentleman-commoner at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, on 20 March 1812, graduating B.A. 1815, M.A. 1818, and B.D. and D.D. in November 1828. In 1817 he was ordained in the English church, and in February 1819 he became, by the gift of the lord chancellor, vicar of Nazeing, Essex. In November 1820 he was advanced by the same patron to the vicarage of Sutton-in-the-Forest, or Sutton Galtries, Yorkshire. He subsequently was appointed seventh canon in Canterbury Cathedral (14 Nov. 1822 to 1828), rector of St. George-the-Martyr, Canterbury (1827–8), prebendary of Osbaldwick at York (15 Feb. 1824 to September 1828), prebendary of Wistow in the same cathedral (18 Sept. 1828 to 1852), rector of St. Dionis Backchurch, London (October 1828 to 1852), dean of Norwich 1828, and rector of Great Chart, Kent, 1852; and he held the last two preferments until his death. As dean of Norwich he had a seat in convocation, where he took a very active part in the debates, and threw in his influence with the moderate party. Pellew died at the rectory, Great Chart, on 13 Oct. 1866, and the east window of the church was afterwards filled with stained glass in his memory. He married, on 20 June 1820, Frances, second daughter of Henry Addington, prime minister and first viscount Sidmouth, and left issue one son and three daughters. The widow died at Speen Hill House, Newbury, Berkshire, on 27 Feb. 1870.
Pellew printed many sermons and tracts, the most important of which was a ‘Letter to Sir Robert Peel on the means of rendering Cathedral Churches most conducive to the Efficiency of the Established Church.’ Many of his sermons were included in two volumes printed in 1848, and entitled ‘Sermons on many of the leading Doctrines and Duties taught by the Church of England.’ In 1847 he published ‘The Life and Correspondence of Addington, first Viscount Sidmouth,’ his father-in-law. These volumes are of much value for the history of the first twenty years of the century, and are written with ‘good sense and unbiassed feeling.’
[Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Foster's Index Eccl.; Burke's Peerage; Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub. ii. 441, iii. 1307, with full bibliography; Boase's Collect. Cornub. p. 697; Athenæum, 20 Oct. 1866, p. 499; Gent. Mag. 1866, pt. ii. p. 705; Le Neve's Fasti, i. 55, ii. 478, iii. 208, 227; Men of the Time, 1865 edit.]