George Medley was born in 1722 at Friston. He owned Buxted Place, Friston Place and Coneyboro' Park, all in Sussex, acquiring these properties on the deaths of his three elder brothers. His father was Thomas Medley and his mother a daughter of Sir Samuel Dashwood, Lord Mayor of London, and granddaughter of John Smith, Speaker of the House of Commons. He was in business as a wine merchant at Lisbon when the great earthquake of 1755 occurred and sustained severe losses in consequence of it. He was M.P. for Seaford, 1768 to 1780, and for East Grinstead from 1783 to 1790. He had no children and all his estates passed to his niece, Lady Shuckburgh Evelyn, only daughter and sole heiress of James Evelyn, of Felbridge, by his first wife, Annabella Medley.