George Henry Law (1761-1845), Bishop of Bath and Wells

Sitter in 6 portraits
George Henry Law spent a number of years as a rector before, in 1812, being appointed Bishop of Chester. In 1824, he was transferred to become the Bishop of Bath and Wells, where he remained until his death. Law's main concern was for the welfare of the rural poor and he believed that those more fortunate had a duty to relieve hardship by means of small land grants, lower rents, and tax concessions. He made speeches in Parliament to this effect and wrote several essays expounding these views. He also spoke frequently in the House of Lords against measures to promote the interests of Roman Catholic dissenters, believing that this would 'subvert the Protestant establishments of the country'.