George Palmer (MP for South Essex)

George Palmer (1772–1853) was an English businessman, politician, and philanthropist.

Born on 11 February 1772, he was eldest son of William Palmer of Wanlip, Leicestershire (1768–1821), a London merchant, and his wife Mary, only daughter of John Horsley the rector of Thorley, Hertfordshire, and sister of Samuel Horsley; John Horsley Palmer was his younger brother. He was educated at Charterhouse School, which he left to enter the naval service of the East India Company.

Palmer made his first voyage in the Carnatic in 1786. Commander of the Boddam in 1796, he received a complimentary letter from the court of directors for his conduct in an encounter with four French frigates. His last voyage was made in 1799.

In 1802 Palmer entered into partnership with his father and brother, Horsley Palmer, and Captain Wilson as East India merchants and shipowners at 28 Throgmorton Street, London. In 1832 he was elected chairman of the General Shipowners' Society.

Palmer served as Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1818. For many years he supported at his own cost a corps of yeomanry, and acted as colonel of the corps. In 1821 he held the office of master of the Mercers' Company, and in that capacity he attended the Lord Mayor at the coronation of George IV on 19 July 1821.

In 1832, when South Shields became a parliamentary borough, Palmer was a candidate in the Conservative interest, but was not elected. He later sat in parliament for South Essex from 1836 to 1847, successful in three strongly contested elections. In 1845, after encountering serious opposition, he obtained legislative enactments prohibiting timber-laden vessels from carrying deck cargoes.

In 1788 an accident to a boat under Palmer's command directed his attention to the equilibrium of boats, and the means of preventing them from sinking. He first became connected with the National Lifeboat Institution in 1826; his plan of fitting lifeboats was adopted. Lifeboats on his plan were placed by the Institution at more than twenty ports. In 1858, it was superseded by the system of self-righting lifeboats.

Palmer was deputy-chairman of the society for over 25 years, and required his own ships to go to sea with the means of saving life. In February 1853 he resigned his office, when the committee voted him the gold medal.

Palmer died at Nazeing Park, Essex, on 12 May 1853.

Palmer was the author of Memoir of a Chart from the Strait of Allass to the Island Bouro, 1799, and of A New Plan for fitting all Boats so that they may be secure as Life Boats at the shortest notice, 1828.

Palmer married, on 29 December 1795, Anna Maria, daughter of William Bund of Wick, Worcestershire, who died on 13 October 1856. They had five children:

• George, born on 23 July 1799, captain West Essex Yeomanry;
• William, Gresham Professor of Law;
• Francis, born 17 September 1810, also a barrister, 5 May 1837;
• Anna Maria, who died young; and
• Elizabeth, who, in 1830, married Robert Biddulph, M.P.