George Finch (politician, born 1794)



George Somerset Finch (Thompson 1794 – 29 June 1870), of Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland, was a British landowner and politician.

Background
Finch was the illegitimate son of George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea and Mrs Phoebe Thompson and was educated at Harrow School (1805–11), Trinity College, Cambridge (1811) In 1808 he was granted a licence to use the Finch arms. On his father's death in 1826, the title went to his first cousin 10th Earl of Winchilsea, but the large Finch estate was not entailed and was given to him despite his illegitimacy, therefore he inherited substantial estates including the Earls of Winchilsea seat at Burley-on-the-Hill House near Oakham, Rutland and a large fortune. His estate generated an income of £29,000 a year.

Political career
Finch sat as Member of Parliament for Lymington between 1820 and 1821, for Stamford between 1832 and 1837 and for Rutland between 1846 and 1847.

He was High Sheriff of Rutland for 1829–30.

Family
Finch was twice married. He married firstly, Jane, daughter of Vice-Admiral John Richard Delap Tollemache, in 1819. After her early death in 1821 he married secondly Lady Louisa, daughter of Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, in 1832, with whom he had 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Finch died in June 1870. Lady Louisa survived him by over twenty years and died in August 1892. Burley House passed to his son George, who was also a politician.