George Hobart (1731 - 1804)

Born 8 Sep 1731 in London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Albinia (Bertie) Hobart — married 16 May 1757 in Chislehurst, Kent, England

Descendants

Died 14 Nov 1804 at age 73 in Nocton, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

George Hobart was a member of the aristocracy in England.

George Hobart, 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire (1731–1804) was a British nobleman, politician, diplomat, colonel and theatre manager.^[1] He served as MP for St Ives from 1754 to 1761,^[2] secretary of embassy in St Petersburg in 1762–63^[3] and MP for Bere Alston between 1761 and 1781.^[4] The son of John Hobart, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire, he inherited his title in 1793 following the passing of his half-brother John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire.^[5]

Early Life

George Hobart was born on 8 September 1731 in London and was baptised on 10 October that year in St Andrew's, Blickling, Norfolk.^[6] He was the fourth son of John Hobart and the first son of John's second wife Elizabeth Bristow.^[6][7]

George entered Westminster School in March 1738/39.^[8] He was admitted to St Peter's College as a King's Scholar in 1746, but left before election.^[9][10] Instead of attending university, George opted for a career in politics.^[1]

Career

George was elected MP for St Ives alongside James Whitshed on 22 April 1754.^[2] In March 1761, he became MP of Bere Alston with Sir Francis Henry Drake.^[4] He held that position until 9 September 1780 when he decided not to stand for re-election.^[3]

In 1756, George had applied to the Duke of Newcastle for the position of British resident in Hamburg but was declined.^[3] His efforts to secure a diplomatic post only came to fruition in August 1762 when he was appointed secretary of embassy in St Petersburg, serving under his brother John, who was then ambassador to the court of Catherine II of Russia.^[3] It does not appear, however, that he found what he was looking for in the diplomatic service.^[11] He complained of maladie du pays and desired to return home.^[11] Thus, by July 1763, he was back in England.^[3]

After retiring from his post in St Petersburg, George began working as a theatre manager.^[1] In 1769, he purchased a half-share in the King's Theatre^[12] where he "ran a programme containing both serious and comic operas".^[1] He continued managing the theatre until January 1773, when he transferred control to James Brooke of Fordingham, Dorset.^[12]

Around 1:00 am on 4 September 1793 (or 3 September; see Research Notes), George's brother John passed away^[13] leaving him the title of Earl of Buckinghamshire,^[7] but not the family estates, which were distributed to John's daughters.^[1] With this new title came the rank of colonel of the 3rd regiment of Lincolnshire Militia on 3 August 1793 and colonel in the Army (during service) on 12 January 1799.^[14]

Family

George married Albinia Bertie of St Marylebone, London, the first daughter and co-heiress of Lord Vere Bertie, by special licence on 16 May 1757 in St Nicholas, Chislehurst, Kent.^[15][7] His marriage was witnessed by Lord Bertie, T Farrington and Robert Weston.^[15][16]

George and Albinia had eleven children:

1. George Hobart, born on 3 March 1758 and baptised on 10 March that year in St Marylebone;^[17]
2. Albinia Hobart, born on 19 April 1759 and baptised on 28 April that year in St James', Piccadilly;^[18]
3. Robert Hobart, born on 6 May 1760 and baptised on 13 May that year in St James';^[19]
4. Maria Ann Hobart, baptised on 10 September 1761 in Leadenham, Lincolnshire;^[20]
5. Henrietta Anne Barbara Hobart, baptised on 1 December 1762 in Leadenham;^[21]
6. Maria Frances Mary Hobart, baptised on 1 December 1762 in Leadenham;^[22]
7. George Vere Hobart, baptised on 14 September 1764 in Leadenham;^[23]
8. Charles Hobart, baptised on 23 February 1766 in Leadenham;^[24]
9. Charlotte Hobart, born 3 February 1770 and baptised 23 February that year in St George's, Hanover Square, London;^[25]
10. Henry Lewis Hobart, baptised on 9 February 1774 in Nocton, Lincolnshire;^[26] and
11. William Richard Hobart, born on 13 August 1777 and baptised on 1 September that year in St James'.^[27]

Death

George passed away on 14 November 1804 at his estate at Nocton,^[28] which he had inherited some years prior from his distant cousin Sir Richard Ellis of Wyham.^[7][1] He was buried in Nocton on 21 November that year.^[29] His will was proved at London on 12 January 1805.^[30] It mentioned the following people:

1. Robert Lord Hobart, son;
2. George Hobart, godson;
3. Albinia, countess of Buckinghamshire, wife and sole executrix;
4. John Dent of London, banker;
5. John Mills of Parliament Street, Saint Margaret, Westminster, gentleman;
6. Sir William Ellys;
7. Sir Richard Ellys;
8. Judge Ellys;
9. Mary Ann Joseph Delibossart of Paris;
10. Augusta Joseph Bezos, daughter of Mary Ann Joseph Delibossart;
11. Seraphina Delibossart, daughter of Mary Ann Joseph Delibossart;
12. John Barker, late of the General Post Office but now residing in Belgrave Square;
13. Ann Barker, wife of John Barker;
14. John Robison, witness; and
15. Joseph Rose, witness.^[30]

Research Notes

• It has been asserted that George's son Robert was born in Hampden House,^[31] yet no sources could be found to support this claim. The Wikipedia article on Robert also has a citation needed tag linked to the claim that Robert was born in Hampden House.
• Although a burial record could not be located for George's son George, it appears that he passed away before 1764 because that was when George and Albinia had their son George Vere Hobart.
• Although a burial record could not be located for George's daughter Maria Ann, it appears that she passed away before 1762 because that was when George and Albinia had their daughter Maria Frances Mary Hobart.
• William Richard Hobart may have been buried on 8 August 1778 in Nocton (see https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=BMD%2FNBI%2F06764335). Further research is needed to confirm whether the William Richard who was buried then was the son of George.
• It has been suggested that Anna Maria Zamperini and Mary Ann Joseph Delibossart of Paris were the mistresses of George.^[1] Further research is necessary to confirm this.
• According to several sources, including The Complete Peerage^[32] and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,^[33] George's brother John died on 3 September 1793. Yet, it was written in The Norfolk Chronicle on 7 September 1793 that John passed "[o]n Wednesday morning, about one o'clock".^[13] Since 7 September 1793 was a Saturday, that would mean that John passed on 4 September, not 3 September. Further research is needed to determine which day John passed on.
• The list of people mentioned in George's will is not exhaustive. Some names could not be deciphered and were omitted.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Matthew Kilburn, “Hobart, George, Third Earl of Buckinghamshire,” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 23, 2004), https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/13390.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Lewis Namier, "St. Ives," The History of Parliament: British Political, Social & Local History, 1964, https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/constituencies/st-ives.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Lewis Namier and John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1754-1790, vol. 2 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1964), 627, https://archive.org/details/historyofparliam0002unse/page/626/mode/2up.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Lewis Namier and John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1754-1790, vol. 1 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1964), 251, https://archive.org/details/houseofcommons170001nami/page/250/mode/2up.
5. ↑ George Edward Cokayne, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom: Extant, Extinct, or Dormant, ed. Vicary Gibbs, 2nd ed., vol. 2 (London: The St Catherine Press, 1912), 402–3, https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo02coka/page/402/mode/2up.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Norfolk : Blickling : St Andrew : : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5b93846af493fd6ceb29eb75 : viewed 23 May 2021) baptism George Hobart 10 Oct 1731.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} George Edward Cokayne, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom: Extant, Extinct, or Dormant, ed. Vicary Gibbs, 2nd ed., vol. 2 (London: The St Catherine Press, 1912), 403, https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo02coka/page/402/mode/2up.
8. ↑ George Fisher Russell Barker and Alan Herbert Stenning, The Record of Old Westminsters: A Biographical List of All Those Who Are Known to Have Been Educated at Westminster School From the Earliest Times to 1927, vol. 1 (London: Chiswick Press, 1928), 464, https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006984630?urlappend=%3Bseq=494.
9. ↑ Frederic Hale Forshall, Westminster School: Past and Present (London: Wyman and Sons, 1884), 235, https://archive.org/details/westminsterschoo00fors/page/234/mode/2up.
10. ↑ Joseph Welch, ed., A List of Scholars of St. Peter’s College, Westminster, as They Were Elected to Christ Church College, Oxford, and Trinity College, Cambridge: From the Foundation by Queen Elizabeth, M D LXI, to the Present Time; Including the Admissions into the First Named College from M DC LXIII; To Which Is Prefixed, a List of Deans of Westminster, Deans of Christ Church College, Oxford, Masters of Trinity College, Cambridge, And Masters of Westminster School (London: J Nichols, 1788), 130, https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/A_List_of_Scholars_of_St_Peter_s_College/sKFbAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA130.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} John Hobart, The Despatches and Correspondence of John, Second Earl of Buckinghamshire, Ambassador to the Court of Catherine II of Russia 1762-1765, ed. Adelaide D’Arcy Collyer, vol. 2 (London: Royal Historical Society, 1902), 7, https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.$b752749?urlappend=%3Bseq=23.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Francis Henry Wollaston Sheppard, ed., “The Haymarket Opera House,” in Survey of London: Volumes 29 and 30, St James Westminster, Part 1 (London: London County Council, 1960), 223–50, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols29-30/pt1/pp223-250#p31.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} The Norfolk Chronicle, or, the Norwich Gazette, “Earl of Buckinghamshire,” The Norfolk Chronicle, or, the Norwich Gazette, September 7, 1793, 2, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000246%2f17930907%2f005.
14. ↑ James E Doyle, The Official Baronage of England: Showing the Succession, Dignities, and Offices of Every Peer from 1066 to 1885, with Sixteen Hundred Illustrations, vol. 1 (London: Longmans, Green, 1886), 273, https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Official_Baronage_of_England_Abercon/B-kIAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA273.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Kent : Chislehurst : St Nicholas : : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/60a99ae9f493fd4500c2d2d3 : viewed 24 May 2021) marriage George Hobart to Albinia Bertie 16 May 1757.
16. ↑ Kent : Chislehurst : St Nicholas : : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/60a99ae9f493fd4500c2d2da : viewed 24 May 2021) marriage George Hobart to Albinia Bertie 16 May 1757.
17. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPQ3-2ZN : 19 September 2020), George Hobert, 1758.
18. ↑ "Westminster, London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1558-1812", database with images, Ancestry (Ancestry Record 61865 #1854123 : accessed 25 May 2021) [requires subscription], Albinia Hobart, daughter of Honble George Hobart and Albinia Hobart, born on 19 April 1759 and baptised on 28 April 1759 in St James, Piccadilly (St James, Westminster), London, Westminster, England.
19. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7CB-NHQ : 20 March 2020), Robert Hobart, 1760.
20. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMD9-RJK : 19 March 2020), Maria Ann Hobert, 1761.
21. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQ5J-85J : 19 March 2020), Henrietta Ann Barbara Hobart, 1762.
22. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQ5J-8ZL : 19 March 2020), Maria Frances Mary Hobart, 1762.
23. ↑ Lincolnshire : Leadenham : St Swithin : : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5f24786af493fd9571b4ea87 : viewed 25 May 2021) baptism George Vere Hobart 19 Sep 1764.
24. ↑ Lincolnshire : Leadenham : St Swithin : : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5f24786cf493fd9571b4eaf7 : viewed 25 May 2021) baptism Charles Hobart 23 Feb 1766.
25. ↑ "Westminster, London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1558-1812", database with images, Ancestry (Ancestry Record 61865 #684619 : accessed 25 May 2021) [requires subscription], Charlotte Hobart, daughter of George Hobart and Albeney Hobart, born on 3 February 1770 and baptised on 23 February 1770 in St George, Hanover Square, London, Westminster, England.
26. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3QS-VLQ : 19 September 2020), Henery Lewis Hobart, 1774.
27. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7CB-NH4 : 20 March 2020), William Richard Hobart, 1777.
28. ↑ The St James’s Chronicle or, British Evening-Post, “Died,” The St James’s Chronicle or, British Evening-Post, November 17, 1804, 3, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002193%2f18041117%2f015.
29. ↑ "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J858-H8Z : 16 March 2020), George Hobart, 1804.
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1} "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858", database with images, Ancestry (Ancestry Record 5111 #360971 : accessed 25 May 2021) [requires subscription], will of The Right Honorable George Buckinghamshire, dated 9 September 1803 and proved at London on 12 January 1805; citing The National Archives PROB 11/1419/100.
31. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Hobart,_4th_Earl_of_Buckinghamshire&oldid=1023531200.
32. ↑ George Edward Cokayne, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom: Extant, Extinct, or Dormant, ed. Vicary Gibbs, 2nd ed., vol. 2 (London: The St Catherine Press, 1912), 402, https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo02coka/page/402/mode/2up.
33. ↑ James Kelly, “Hobart, John, Second Earl of Buckinghamshire,” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 23, 2004), https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/13394.

Acknowledgements

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