Henry Hobhouse

Henry Hobhouse, (12 April 1776 – 13 April 1854) was an English archivist and civil servant.

Family background and education Hobhouse was born on 12 April 1776 at Clifton, near Bristol. He was the only son of Henry Hobhouse (who died 2 April 1792) of Hadspen House, Somerset, barrister, and his wife Sarah, daughter of the Rev. Richard Jenkyns, residentiary canon of Wells. He went to Eton College in 1791; matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford, on 10 April 1793; and graduated BA in 1797, and MA in 1799.

Career Hobhouse was called to the bar at the Middle Temple on 23 January 1801. He was solicitor to HM Customs from 1806 to 1812, and then became solicitor to the Treasury. He was appointed permanent under-secretary of state for the Home Office on 28 June 1817, and held that office until July 1827, when he retired on a pension of £1,000 a year. He was also keeper of the state papers from 23 May 1826 until his death in 1854. He was created DCL on 27 June 1827. On 28 June 1828 he was gazetted a Privy Councillor. and is now a working country estate with hotel called The Newt in Somerset.