Samuel Thornton
Born(1754-11-06)6 November 1754
Clapham
Died3 July 1838(1838-07-03) (aged 83)
Brighton[1]
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Politician, abolitionist and Governor of the Bank of England
ChildrenSophia Thornton who married John Leslie-Melville, 9th Earl of Leven
ParentJohn Thornton

Samuel Thornton (6 November 1754 – 3 July 1838) was one of the sons of John Thornton, a leading merchant in the Russian and Baltic trade, and was a director of the Bank of England for 53 years[1][2] and Governor (1799–1801). He had earlier served as its Deputy Governor.[3] He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull (with William Wilberforce in 1784) from 1784 to 1806 and for Surrey from 1807 to 1812. He and was a member of the Committee for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts.

As MP for Kingston he was painted by Karl Anton Hickel in the group portrait "William Pitt addressing the House of Commons on the French Declaration of War, 1793" which still hangs at the National Portrait Gallery.[4]

He bought Albury Park, Albury, Surrey in 1800, and lived there until 1811. He employed the architect Sir John Soane[5] to improve the property.

During the early 19th century Thornton built housing in the hamlet of Weston Street, a mile to the west of Albury, for the resettlement of villagers removed from cottages in Albury Park, as part of the agricultural improvements.

His brothers Henry Thornton and Robert Thornton were also notable men of their time and MPs.[1] all three were members of the Clapham Sect and lived in adjoining houses in Clapham.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Gentlemen's Magazine. London: F. Jefferies. September 1838. pp. 326. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  2. ^ Macleod, Henry Dunning (1856). The Theory and Practice of Banking. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer. pp. 194. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  3. ^ "Deputy Governors of the Bank of England" (PDF). Bank of England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Nation Portrait Gallery Information - Samuel Thornton". Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  5. ^ "Soane Website". Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  6. ^ "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - Clapham Sect". May 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2008.

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Parliament of Great Britain Preceded byDavid HartleyWilliam Wilberforce Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull 1784–1800 With: William Wilberforce to 1784Walter Spencer Stanhope 1784–1790Earl of Burford 1790–1796Sir Charles Turner from 1796 Succeeded byParliament of the United Kingdom Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byParliament of Great Britain Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull 1801–1806 With: Sir Charles Turner to 1802John Staniforth from 1802 Succeeded byWilliam Joseph DenisonJohn Staniforth Preceded byLord William RussellSir John Frederick Member of Parliament for Surrey 1807–1812 With: George Holme Sumner Succeeded bySir Thomas SuttonGeorge Holme Sumner Preceded bySir Thomas SuttonGeorge Holme Sumner Member of Parliament for Surrey 1807–1812 With: George Holme Sumner Succeeded bySir Thomas SuttonWilliam Joseph Denison Government offices Preceded byThomas Raikes Governor of the Bank of England 1799–1801 Succeeded byJob Mathew Raikes
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