362 COLCHESTER verse) " Petrus Magnus " (when he received a medal from the Empress Catherine) in 1777; Vinerian scholar, 1781; B.C.L., 1783; Vinerian fellow, 1786-92; F.S.A., 13 Dec. 1792; D.C.L. (Grand Compounder), 1793; F.R.S. 14 Feb. 1793. He was called to the bar (Mid. Temple), 1783, and joined the Oxford circuit; Clerk of the Rules in the Court of King's Bench (worth £l,']00 a year) 1794; M.P. (Tory) for Helston, 1790 (on a double return, his opponent being seated), and 1795-1802; for Woodstock, 1802-06; for Oxford Univ., 1806-17, introducing into Pari, several practical measures for law reform ;(") Chairman of the Finance Committee, 1797; Chairman of the Record Committee, 1 800, and, subsequently, of the Record Commission. P.C. [U.K.] 21 May; and [I.] i Sep. 1801. In 1801 he introduced a bill which is the origin of the present Census; Chief Sec. for Ireland, i8oi-02;() Speaker of the House of Commons, ii Feb. 1802, for 15 years, during which time he, in 1 805, gave his casting vote (which in such cases is more usually withheld) for the impeachment of Lord Melville as Treasurer of the Navy. He retired in 18 17, and was, 3 June 18 17, cr. BARON COLCHESTER OF COLCHESTER, Essex, with a pension of ;^4,ooo for his own life and one of ;^3,ooo for his next successor. Trustee of the Brit. Museum, 18 18 till his death.^^) Bencher of the Middle Temple, ^c. He »2., 29 Dec. 1796, at St. Marylebone, Elizabeth, ist da. of Sir Philip GiBBES, 1st Bart., of Barbados, by Agnes, da. and h. of Samuel Osborne, of that island. He d. at Spring Gardens, Whitehall, 8, and was bur. 14 May 1829, at Westm. Abbey, aged 71. Will pr. July 1829. His widow d. 10 June 1847, i'^ Upper Berkeley Str., Midx., aged 86. Admon. July 1847. II. 1829. 2. Charles(Abbot), Baron Colchester, 1st s. and h., b. 12 Mar. 1798, and bap. at St. James's, Westm.; ed. at Westm. school, and at the Royal Naval Coll.; entered the Navy, 181 1 ; Rear Adm. on the reserved list, 1854, Vice Adm. i860, Adm. 1864; Pres. of the Royal Geog. Soc. 1845-47; P.C. 27 Feb. 1852; Vice Pres. of the Board of Trade and Paymaster Gen. (Conservative), Feb. to Dec. 1852; Postmaster Gen., Feb. 1858 to June i859.() He m., 3 Feb. 1836, Elizabeth Susan, 2nd da. of Edward (Law), ist Baron Ellenborough, by Anne, da. of George Philips Towry. He d. 1 8 Oct. 1 867, at 34 Berkeley Sq., Midx., (*) He strongly opposed Rom. Cath. emancipation, and was hostile to Canning: his services to the literary world were considerable. His Diary and Correspondence, in 3 vols., was edited by his son the 2nd Baron; it gives a valuable account of the political history of his time. V.G. C") On his leaving that post for the Speakership, the Countess of Hardwicke (wife of the Viceroy) writes, in 1802, "It is a great exaltation ... he is too little for that great wig. I thoroughly believe that no wig ever covered greater abilities, but good wine needs no bush." (Hare's Two Noble Lives). V.G. (') He bought, about 181 8, the estate of Kidbrook, Sussex. {^) The eighth Duke of Argyll, whom he succeeded, spoke of him as " not a very strong man." V.G.
