Biography of George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet 1729-1809
Paternal Family Tree: Colebrooke
On 14 Jun 1729 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet was born to James Colebrooke (age 49) at Chilham, Kent [Map].
In 1754 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 24) was elected MP Arundel which seat he controlled. He held the seat until 1774.
In 1754 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 24) and Mary Gaynor were married. She bought significant wealth to the marriage being the heiress of her father Peter aka Patrick Gaynor who had considerable slave-holdings.
On 12 Oct 1759 [his brother] James Colebrooke 1st Baronet (age 37) was created 1st Baronet Colebrooke of Gatton in Surrey with a special remainder to his brother George (age 30) since James only had daughters.
In 1761 [his son] James Edward Colebrooke 3rd Baronet was born to George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 31) and [his wife] Mary Gaynor.
On 10 May 1761 [his brother] James Colebrooke 1st Baronet (age 38) died. His brother George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 31) succeeded 2nd Baronet Colebrooke of Gatton in Surrey. George was left in sole charge of the family bank in Threadneedle Street. He invested some of his wealth in buying control of the borough of Arundel where the family lived. Arundel was not a classic pocket borough, where the power to return MPs was literally tied to property rights that could be freely bought and sold, but a thoroughly corrupt one where bribery was routine and where maintaining influence of the elections required constant expenditure.
Around 1764 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 34) purchased plantations in Antigua (where his wife already had interests), Grenada and Dominica and was a slave-owner.
On 15 Jun 1765 [his son] Henry Thomas Colebrooke was born to George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 36) and [his wife] Mary Gaynor.
In 1767 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 37) was appointed Director of the East India Company.
In 1777 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 47) moved to Boulogne sur Mer [Map] where he relied on an East India Company pension.
On 21 Jan 1777 the bank owned by George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 47) was declaredd bankrupt with losses including £190,000 in speculation on hemp.
In 1789 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 59), during the French Revolution, returned to England and managed eventually to pay his creditors in full so that some inheritance was left for his descendants.
On 05 Aug 1809 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 80) died. His son [his son] James Edward Colebrooke 3rd Baronet (age 48) succeeded 3rd Baronet Colebrooke of Gatton in Surrey.