Sir Charles Palmer, 2nd Baronet

Sir William Pepperrell, 1st Baronet and his family, by John Singleton Copley, 1778

Charles Thomas Hudson was born on 20 May 1771 to Sir Charles Hudson, 1st Baronet of Wanlip Hall and his wife Catherine Palmer.[1] In 1805 Palmer married Harriet Pepperell who was one of the three daughters of the Anglo-American Sir William Pepperell of Boston and Elizabeth the daughter of Isaac Royall. She was born on 17 December 1773. A portrait of William Pepperell and his three daughters and short lived son was painted by John Singleton Copley in 1778.

Isaac Royall and his family by Robert Feke - the child in the centre would become Hudson's mother-in-law[2]

Hudson's marriage was important as it linked his family not only to the Pepperell family inheritance, but it also gave him a connection to the American Royall family. The Royalls had become rich due to their Antiguan slave plantations. Both Isaac Royall and Hudson's father had interest in slave plantations in Surinam.[2]

In 1803 Charles and Harriett had Louisa and in 1806 came Mary Ann. Caroline Harriet was born in 1809 and his heir George Joseph was born in 1811.[3] His final two children were Charles Axdale and William Henry.[3]

Caroline Harriet Abraham was his daughter [4]

Wanlip Hall from European Magazine 1809 - home of Charles Thomas Hudson Palmer

After his father's death in 1813, his 1812 will was successfully challenged after it was considered by the Law Lords. The Master of the Rolls considered that his request that his executors pass on his wealth (2,500 pounds) to the children that were surviving 28 years after his death was too vague and remote.[5] Under the terms of his maternal grandfather's will, he changed his name to Palmer and his father's Hudson baronetcy became the Palmer baronetcy of Wanlip Hall.[3]

One of his daughters was Caroline Harriet Abraham. She feared that she would die a spinster after spending time nursing her mother. She went to New Zealand as the wife of Bishop Charles Abraham and she became an amateur noted artist.[4]

Palmer died in Wanlip in 1827.[3]