DAUBENY, George (1742-1806), of Bristol and Cote, Glos.

Daubeny was a leading business man in Bristol, and a prominent member of the society of merchant venturers, serving in 1784 as master of the hall. Engaged in sugar refining, he was also a partner in the firm of Stevens and Cave, glass manufacturers, and in 1786 helped to found the Bristol banking firm of Ames, Cave and Co.

In 1768 he became a member of the ‘Steadfast Society’, the organization of one of the two rival groups in Bristol politics. He took a leading part in re-animating the society after the defeat of its candidates in 1774, served as assistant president in 1775, and became president in 1781. On the death of Sir Henry Lippincott, in 1781, Daubeny was returned as its candidate after a contest in which he received £5,000 from Government towards his election expenses.Fortescue, v. 470. As an Administration supporter Daubeny spoke ‘with great heat’ in the House of Commons on 27 Nov. 1781 in favour of continuing the American war, and declared that the citizens of Bristol ‘were willing to sacrifice half their fortune in the prosecution of it’.Debrett, v. 44. He voted for Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, and for Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. Stockdale’s list of 19 Mar. 1784 classes him as a Foxite, though Robinson in January had counted him as ‘hopeful’, and in fact he seems not to have committed himself to the Opposition.Ld. Sydney to Duke of Rutland, 3 Mar. 1784, HMC Rutland, iii. 77. At the general election of 1784 he again contested Bristol, but was defeated.

He died 25 May 1806.