George Dodington, 1st Baron Melcombe
George Bubb Dodington, 1st Baron Melcombe PC (1691 – 28 July 1762) was an English politician and nobleman.
Christened simply George Bubb, he changed his surname to Dodington by Act of Parliament around the time his uncle George Dodington died in 1720 and left him his estate.[1] Enormously rich, he became a friend of Frederick, Prince of Wales, who took advantage of their acquaintance to obtain loans that helped clear his debts, and, on being thrown out of St James's Palace by his father, King George II, moved into a London house belonging to Dodington. Dodington is said to have been involved in a spy-ring, collecting valuable information about Jacobite activities. In 1761, following the accession of Frederick's son to the throne as George III, he was created Baron Melcombe.
His diary, published posthumously in 1784 by Henry Penruddocke Wyndham, is a valuable historical source.
He is depicted in William Hogarth's 1761 engraving Five Orders of Periwigs.
References
External links
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Melcombe, George Bubb Doddington. |
- Archival material relating to George Dodington, 1st Baron Melcombe listed at the UK National Archives
Parliament of Great Britain | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Robert Bristow George Dodington |
Member of Parliament for Winchelsea 1715–1722 With: Robert Bristow |
Succeeded by Robert Bristow Thomas Townshend |
Preceded by Thomas Palmer William Pitt |
Member of Parliament for Bridgwater 1722–1754 With: Thomas Palmer 1722–1727, 1731–1735 Sir Halswell Tynte, Bt 1727–1731 Sir Charles Wyndham, Bt 1735–1741 Vere Poulett 1741–1747 Peregrine Poulett 1747–1753 Robert Balch 1753–1754 |
Succeeded by Robert Balch The Earl of Egmont |
Preceded by Sir James Thornhill Edward Tucker Thomas Pearse George Dodington |
Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 1734–1735 With: Edward Tucker Thomas Pearse George Dodington |
Succeeded by Edward Tucker Thomas Pearse George Dodington John Tucker |
Preceded by Sir John Ramsden, Bt Walter Plumer |
Member of Parliament for Appleby 1741 With: Sir John Ramsden, Bt |
Succeeded by Sir John Ramsden, Bt Sir Charles Wyndham, Bt |
Preceded by Welbore Ellis George Dodington Edward Hungate Beaghan Lord George Cavendish |
Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 1754–1761 With: Welbore Ellis Lord John Cavendish John Tucker |
Succeeded by John Tucker Sir Francis Dashwood, Bt John Olmius Richard Glover |
Diplomatic posts | ||
Preceded by Lord Bingley |
British Ambassador to Spain 1715-1717 |
Succeeded by John Chetwynd |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Sir John Rushout, Bt |
Treasurer of the Navy 1744–1749 |
Succeeded by Henry Bilson-Legge |
Preceded by George Grenville |
Treasurer of the Navy 1756 |
Succeeded by George Grenville |
Honorary titles | ||
Preceded by George Dodington |
Lord Lieutenant of Somerset 1720–1744 |
Succeeded by The Earl Poulett |
Vice-Admiral of Somerset 1720–1762 |
Vacant Title next held by The Earl of Egmont | |
Peerage of Great Britain | ||
New creation | Baron Melcombe 1761–1762 |
Extinct |