Baron Melcombe George Bubb Dodixgton, an English politician, born in Dorsetshire in 1691, died July 28, 1762. He was educated at Oxford, and in 1715 was chosen to parliament for Winchelsea. His talents soon attracted attention, and after accompanying Sir Paul Methuen to Madrid, he was made envoy extraordinary to Spain, returning in 1717. On the death of his uncle George Dodington in 1720, he came into possession of a large estate in Dorsetshire, took the name of Dodington, and erected at the cost of £140,000 a magnificent residence, where he entertained the leading literary men of the time. In politics ho was a whig, and joined himself to Walpole; but when that minister refused him a peerage, he joined the opposition. Resuming his relations with Walpole, he received several valuable, appointments; but again joining the opposition, he was conspicuous in the assaults on Walpole's ministry which resulted in its overthrow, and was after some time made treasurer of the navy. Again changing his* views, he joined the faction of Frederick, prince of Wales, in 1749, and received from him the promise of a peerage and a cabinet office, to be conferred when the prince should become king. The prince and Dodington settled the former's first ministry; but in the midst of their scheming the prince suddenly died.

In 1755 he was once more appointed treasurer of the navy, but soon lost the office. In 1761 he obtained the object of his life, being made Baron Melcombe of Melcombe Regis, through the favor of Lord Bute. This success he did not live long to enjoy, and on his death the title became extinct. His estates fell to Richard Grenville, Earl Temple, and his personal property was bequeathed to Thomas Wyndham, whose relative, Henry P. Wyndham, published Dodington's "Diary" in 1784. This diary was kept, with some breaks, from March 8, 1749, to Feb. 6, 1761, and affords a lively picture of the parties, politic, and public men of the last years of George II.'s reign, of the political corruption of the time, and of that of the author himself. Several of the author's political papers are attached to it. The volume has been frequently reprinted.