George Peter Holford

George Peter Holford (1767–1839) was an English barrister, politician and author. With a short break 1806–7, he was a Tory Member of Parliament from 1803 to 1826, for a number of constituencies. Holford was an advocate of prison reform. Early life He was the second son of Peter Holford, a Master in Chancery, and his wife Anne Nutt, daughter of William Nutt of Buxted. He was educated at Harrow School. He matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge in 1784, graduating B.A. in 1788, and M.A. in 1791. Holford entered Lincoln's Inn in 1788 and was called to the bar in 1791. In politics Holford was a friend of Lord Castlereagh, who in 1802 became President of the Board of Control, overseeing the East India Company. He was also on good terms with the rising Tory politicians Lord Hawkesbury, Richard Ryder and Nicholas Vansittart. At the end of 1802, the Prime Minister Henry Addington told Holford that he would shortly be brought into the House of Commons. It was managed in January 1803, at , with the agreement of Lord Mount Edgecumbe. When Addington made way for William Pitt the younger in May 1804, Benjamin Hobhouse who was Secretary of the Board of Control resigned, and Holford replaced him, working under Castlereagh to whom he became close.