George Watson-Taylor

George Watson-Taylor (1771–1841), of Cavendish Square, Middlesex and Erlestoke Park, near Devizes, Wiltshire, was an English sugar plantation owner and politician.

He was the fourth son of George Watson of Saul’s River, Jamaica and was educated at Lincoln's Inn from 1788 and St. Mary Hall, Oxford from 1791.

He married in 1810 Anna Susanna Taylor, daughter of Sir John Taylor, 1st Baronet of Lysson Hall, Jamaica, and thus gained considerable wealth from Jamaican sugar cane plantations. He was granted the additional surname of Taylor by royal licence of 19 June 1815, following the death earlier that year of Sir Simon Richard Brissett Taylor, 2nd Baronet, whom his wife had succeeded.

He was a Member (MP) for Newport, Isle of Wight 15 April 1816–1818, Seaford 1818–1820, East Looe 1820 – 23 February 1826 and for Devizes 1 March 1826 – 1832. On arrival in the House of Commons he was immediately elected to the standing committee of the Society of West India Planters and Merchants.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1826.

He died in financial difficulties in Edinburgh in 1841, his estates at Erlestoke and in Jamaica having passed to his wife. His son Simon Watson-Taylor was also briefly MP for Devizes.

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