Sir George Smyth, 6th Baronet
Sir George Smyth | |
---|---|
Member of Parliament for Colchester | |
In office 17 January 1835 – 6 February 1850 | |
Preceded by | Daniel Whittle Harvey Richard Sanderson |
Succeeded by | John Manners Joseph Hardcastle |
In office 9 June 1826 – 20 April 1829 Serving with Daniel Whittle Harvey | |
Preceded by | Henry Baring James Beckford Wildman |
Succeeded by | Daniel Whittle Harvey Richard Sanderson |
Personal details | |
Born | 4 January 1784 |
Died | 11 July 1852 | (aged 68)
Nationality | British |
Political party | Conservative/Tory |
Sir George Henry Smyth, 6th Baronet of Upton (30 January 1784 – 11 July 1852)[1][2] was a British Conservative and Tory politician.[3][4]
Early life and family
Smyth was the son of Sir Robert Smyth, 5th Baronet of Berechurch and spinster Charlotte Sophia Delaval Blake. Educated first in Paris, he was admitted to Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1802, and inherited his father's Berechurch estate in 1805—which he extended and rebuilt, making him popular and respected in the local Colchester area—and the Baronetcy of Upton. In 1815, he married Eva Elmore, daughter of George Elmore of Penton, near Andover in Hampshire, and they had at least one child, Charlotte (1813–1845), who was illegitimate.[4]
Political career
While refurbishing his estate, Smyth became popular and a leading figure in the local anti-Catholic Tory Blue party, which dominated local politics. In 1821, he chaired the meeting which saw the creation of the Loyal Colchester Association, which aimed to "counteract the diffusion of loyal and seditious principles" and, in the same year, at an anniversary dinner for the Colchester True Blue or Pitt Club, which he was active in, he congratulated members for "the increased ascendancy which True Blue principles were gaining every day".[4]
This helped Smyth towards his first successful bid for parliament, culminating in his successful election as
In parliament, Smyth presented two petitions against Catholic relief; the first from Colchester archdeaconry and residents, and the second from the corporation, both in March 1827. He then voted accordingly on a bill in the same month. Other votes included voting in favour of the
However, he gradually grew apart from the government's views, telling a dinner of the True Blue Club in November 1827 "there might be some difficulty as to the course which he should pursue, but... he would not take a seat with the Whigs, nor with those who had come round to the True Blues for the sake of place". In particular, he was a "diehard opponent"
Nevertheless, he remained prominent in Colchester politics, although he admitted he was "wholly ignorant" of the currency question relating to beer and malt taxes, but hoped the ministry would alleviate the tax burden and "discount the radical nostrum of a property tax". He made similar points when standing for election at Essex at a by-election in 1830, where he professed himself a "Tory of the old school". At that year's general election, he stood again for Colchester but withdrew from the race, which had six candidates, before the poll. At a by-election in 1831 he supported Sir William Curtis, 2nd Baronet, a Tory, in his unsuccessful bid for the seat, and at the general election of the same month, he was a prominent supporter of Richard Sanderson, who was again seeking election.[4]
Smyth returned to the seat at the
Death
Smyth died at his home in Berechurch in 1852, leaving no legitimate issue, with his estate being passed to the children of his illegitimate daughter, Charlotte, who had married Thomas White of Wetherfield, Essex. He was remembered as a "fine specimen of the old English gentleman", while the baronetcy became extinct.[4]
References
- ^ Rayment, Leigh (25 July 2018). "The House of Commons: Constituencies beginning with "C"". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Rayment, Leigh (29 September 2017). "Baronetcies beginning with "S"". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Fisher, David R. (2009). "SMYTH, Sir George Henry, 6th bt. (1784–1852), of Berechurch Hall, nr. Colchester, Essex". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Fisher, David R. (2009). "SANDERSON, Richard (?1783–1857), of 52 Upper Harley Street, Mdx. and 23 Lombard Street, London". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.