George Somerset Finch (né Thompson 1794 – 29 June 1870), ofBurley-on-the-Hill,Rutland, was a British landowner and politician.
Finch was the illegitimate son ofGeorge Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea, and Mrs Phoebe Thompson, and was educated atHarrow School (1805–11) andTrinity College, Cambridge (1811).[1] In 1808 he was granted a licence to use the Finch arms.[2] On his father's death in 1826, the title went to his father's first cousin, the10th Earl of Winchilsea, but the large Finch estate was notentailed, thus the estate that might have been expected to go with the title instead was able to be left to him despite his illegitimacy, and so he inherited substantial estates including the seat of the Earls of Winchilsea,Burley House near Oakham, Rutland, and a large fortune. His estate generated an income of £29,000 a year.[3]
Finch sat asMember of Parliament forLymington between 1820 and 1821, forStamford between 1832 and 1837 and forRutland between 1846 and 1847.[4]
He wasHigh Sheriff of Rutland for 1829–30.[4]
Finch was twice married. He married firstly, Jane, daughter of Vice-AdmiralJohn Richard Delap Tollemache, in 1819. After her early death in 1821[2] he married secondly Lady Louisa, daughter ofHenry 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 sonGeorge, who was also a politician.[4]
name.| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLymington 1820–1821 With:Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, Bt | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forStamford 1832–1837 With:Thomas Chaplin | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forRutland 1846–1847 With:Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bt | Succeeded by |