Sir George Rumbold, 2nd Baronet

Career

George Berriman Rumbold was educated privately and at Christ's College, Cambridge. He joined the Diplomatic Service and in 1803 was appointed ambassador to the Hanse Towns, minister-resident of Great Britain at Hamburg (at that time a "free city"), and chargé d'affaires to the Circle of Lower Saxony.

On the night of 24 October 1804 Rumbold was abducted by French troops on the flimsy pretext that British Ministers on the Continent had conspired against France. Joseph Fouché, the Minister of Police in Paris, had sent an order in the name of Napoleon to Marshal Bernadotte commanding French occupation troops in Hanover.

A detachment of 250 French troops embarked in boats at Harburg, in Hanoverian territory. They crossed the river Elbe, landed on the Hamburg side, proceeded to Rumbold's residence, forced the door, and compelled him to deliver up his papers. He was then taken to Hanover in a guarded coach, thence to Paris, and confined in the Temple. In Berlin great indignation was expressed and the King of Prussia, as Protector of the Circle of Lower Saxony and guardian of the free cities, ordered his minister at Paris to demand Rumbold's release. The next day, on the orders of Napoleon, he was conveyed to Cherbourg and put on board a French cutter, sailing under flag of truce, which delivered him to the British frigate Niobe, in which he arrived at Portsmouth. The papers seized at Hamburg remain in the Archives nationales in Paris and reveal no conspiracy.

Rumbold returned to Hamburg where he was replaced in 1806. He died of fever at Memel on 15 December 1807.

Family

George Rumbold was the second son of Sir Thomas Rumbold, 1st Baronet. His elder brother died before his father, so George inherited the baronetcy on his father's death in 1791. In 1783 he had married Caroline Hearn, who became Lady Rumbold; their elder son William became the 3rd Baronet in 1807. In 1809 Lady Rumbold married Sir Sidney Smith.