Sir George Dashwood, 5th Baronet facts for kids
Sir George Henry Dashwood, 5th Baronet (born around 1790 – died March 4, 1862) was an important English landowner and politician. He served in the House of Commons, which is like the main parliament where laws are made in the UK, during two different times between 1832 and 1865. A "Baronet" is a special title, similar to a knight, that can be passed down through families.
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Who Was Sir George Dashwood?
Sir George Henry Dashwood was the oldest son of Sir John Dashwood-King, 4th Baronet, and his wife, Mary Ann Broadhead. He went to two famous schools: Eton College and the University of Oxford.
Family and Political Differences
George had different political ideas from his father. His father was a Tory, which was a political group that didn't want big changes. He even opposed the Reform Bill, which aimed to make voting fairer.
However, George was a more modern thinker. He was a Whig and later a Liberal, both groups that wanted progress and changes. Because of these different views, his relationship with his father was not always easy.
Sir John, George's father, preferred living at his estate called Halton House. George, on the other hand, lived at West Wycombe Park. George moved there soon after he married Elizabeth Broadhead on March 17, 1823. Elizabeth was his mother's niece.
A Career in Politics
In 1831, George's father left politics. The public was pushing for big changes in how elections worked. The very next year, George decided to run for Parliament. He became a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire. He held this seat until 1835.
Later, in 1837, he was elected to represent the area of Wycombe. This was the same area his father had represented before him. George continued to serve as a Member of Parliament for Wycombe until he passed away in 1865.
Managing the Family Estates
When his father died in 1849, George became the 5th Baronet. This meant he inherited the family title. He decided to sell off some of his grandfather's properties in Lincolnshire and Wales in 1851. He used the money he got from these sales to improve and update the West Wycombe Park estate.
He also sold the items inside Halton House in 1849. Then, in 1853, he sold the Halton House estate itself.
Later Life and Legacy
Sir George Dashwood died at West Wycombe Park when he was 71 years old. He did not have any children. Because of this, his brother John inherited the Baronet title after him.
George's wife, Elizabeth, was allowed to live at West Wycombe Park for the rest of her life. She later had St Paul's Church built in West Wycombe.
