Christopher Bethell-Codrington

Christopher Bethell-Codrington (until 1797 known as Christopher Codrington; October 1764 – 4 February 1843) was a British politician, planter and amateur cricket player who served as a MP in the British Parliament. In 1792, he inherited from his uncle Sir William Codrington, 2nd Baronet, sugar plantations in Antigua and the Dodington Park estate in Gloucestershire. In 1797 he inherited further Caribbean property from his uncle Christopher Bethell, who had changed his name after inheriting the estates from his maternal uncle Slingsby Bethell in 1758. He then changed his surname to Bethell-Codrington. Parliamentary career Later in 1797 he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Tewkesbury, holding the seat until 1812. In 1806 he rejected pressure from his constituents to support the abolition of the slave trade, but denied being motivated by his self-interest as a plantation-owner. Later in 1832, he had a very public debate in the newspapers with Sir Fowell Buxton on abolition, quoting a letter from his attorney and resident manager for Barbuda in 1825, John James, detailing the supposed contentedness of the slaves there.