A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices/Abbot, Charles
Admitted 14 October, 1768.
Second son of the Rev. John Abbot, S.T.P., of Colchester. He was educated at Westminster and Oxford, where he had a distinguished career, and where he was Vinerian Scholar, 1781. He was called to the Bar 9 May, 1783, but finding the practice of the law distasteful, in 1794 he accepted the office of Clerk of the Rules in the King's Bench, which he held for seven years. In 1795 he entered Parliament as member for Helston. Here he devoted his attention to many practical improvements in legislative procedure, and he was the author of the first Census Act. In 1801 he became Chief Secretary for Ireland, where he applied himself to departmental reforms, till in the following year he was recalled to succeed Sir John Mitford in the Speakership of the House of Commons (11 Feb. 1802). This position he occupied for fifteen very eventful years, retiring in 1817, with a peerage as Lord Colchester. On attaining to the Speakership he was elected a Bencher of the Inn, and was appointed Reader in 1805. He died suddenly on the 7 May, 1829. His Diary and Correspondence were published by his son in 1861.