Constituency : Dundalk 1852-68, County Wexford 1874-80 ( Home Rule )
Sir George, the son and heir of a Berkshire baronet wasn't remotely Irish but was since 1850 a Catholic with all the zeal of a recent convert. He was a barrister with two published works on the civil law. He also became a frequent correspondent to The Times on religious matters. In later life he was showered with Catholic titles.
Sir George first stood for Parliament in a by-election at Reading in 1849 but was unsuccessful. Being elected for an Irish constituency in 1852 he was obliged to join the Independent Irish party later that year but was happy to revert to Liberal colours in 1857.
Sir George then became one of those Irish Liberal MPs who took the side of the Pope in the Irish wars and vigorously denounced Palmerston, Russell and Gladstone for supporting Garibaldi. That made him susceptible to Disraeli's overtures and he agreed to support the Second Reform Bill after hints of further Catholic concessions.
For the reasons above he was ejected from Dundalk by another Liberal in 1868. He spent the next six years out of Parliament. He returned as a Home Rule MP for Wexford in 1874 and he was turned out of the London Reform Club in 1876. He stood down in 1880.
He died in 1883 aged 71 and was buried in a church whose construction he had financed.
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