George Byng (1764–1847)

George Byng DL JP (17 May 1764 – 10 January 1847), of Wrotham Park in Middlesex (now Hertfordshire), and of Wentworth House, 5, St James's Square, London,^[2] was a British Whig politician.

George Byng („Byng-Go" by Richard Dighton, 1820)

Wrotham Park in 1820

Left: Wentworth House, 5, St James's Square, London, townhouse built 1748-51 by William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford (1722–1791) to the design of Matthew Brettingham The Elder^[1]

Origins

He was the eldest son and heir of George Byng (1735-1789) (eldest son of Robert Byng (1703-1740), third son of Admiral George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington (1663-1733)^[3][4]) of Wrotham Park, by his wife Anne Conolly, a daughter of William Conolly (d.1754), of Stratton Hall, Staffordshire and of Castletown, co. Kildare,^[5] a Member of Parliament. Anne's mother was Lady Anne Wentworth, a daughter of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1672–1739). His younger brother was Field Marshal John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford (1772-1860),^[4] elevated to the peerage in 1847 with the same territorial designation as the earldom of his maternal cousins, which earldom had become extinct in 1799.

Career

He was educated at Göttingen University from 1780^[6] where he studied under Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Byng was returned to Parliament for Middlesex in 1790, a seat he held until his death 57 years later.^[7] During his early years he was an associate of Charles James Fox.^[8] Between 1832 and 1847 he was Father of the House of Commons. He was offered a peerage in order to increase the Whig majority in the House of Lords prior to the 1832 Reform Act, but refused.^[8] He was also a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for Middlesex.^[9]

Marriage

In 1797 he married Harriet Montgomery, a daughter of Sir William Montgomery, 1st Baronet, of Macbie Hill, Peebles,^[2] but had no children.^[8]

Death and succession

He died on 10 January 1847,^[2] aged 82. His heir was his younger brother, Field Marshal John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford (1772-1860), elevated to the peerage in the same year.