Algernon Gray Tollemache (24 September 1805 – 16 January 1892, London) was a British

gentleman A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...

and politician. He was the sixth and youngest son of William Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower and Catherine Gray.

Career

He was Member of Parliament for

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...

from 1832 to 1837. During this time he became interested in the

New Zealand Company The New Zealand Company, chartered in the United Kingdom, was a company that existed in the first half of the 19th century on a business model focused on the systematic colonisation of New Zealand. The company was formed to carry out the principl ...

and purchased several sections of land in

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

and 34 in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. In 1849, he travelled on one of the earliest ships to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and settled in Wellington. He also financed many small farmers. Amongst those he financed were Henry Robert Russell and Donald McLean. Having amassed a significant fortune, he returned to England.

Family and legacy

When his elder brother, Lionel, inherited the Dysart title and the Tollemache family estates in 1840, Algernon and another brother,

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederi ...

, were invited to manage the estates at

Ham Ham is pork from a leg cut of pork, cut that has been food preservation, preserved by wet or dry Curing (food preservation), curing, with or without smoking (cooking), smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. Lo ...

and

Buckminster Buckminster is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish within the Melton (borough), Melton district of Leicestershire, England, which includes the two villages of Buckminster and Sewstern. The total population of the civil parish ...

. Along with Charles Hanbury-Tracy, husband to Frederick's younger daughter, Ada, the three were nominated as the

Dysart Trustees William John Manners Tollemache, 9th Earl of Dysart DL (3 March 1859 – 22 November 1935) in the Peerage of Scotland, was also a Baronet (cr.1793) in the Baronetage of Great Britain, Lord Lieutenant of Rutland (1881–1906), and Justice of the ...

for the 21 years to 1899 following Lionel's death. On 28 September 1857, Algernon married his first cousin Frances Louisa Halliday (1804–1893), daughter of Charles Tollemache and Gertrude Florinda Gardiner, and widow of George Richard Halliday who had died in 1855. By then in their mid fifties, the couple had no children. In 1881, Algernon and Frances were living at

Ham House Ham House is a 17th-century house set in formal gardens on the bank of the River Thames in Ham, south of Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The original house was completed in 1610 by Thomas Vavasour, an Elizabethan cou ...

but in the years prior to Algernon's death they lived at Wick House, on Richmond Hill.Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England. 12 February 1892

United Kingdom Census 1881 The United Kingdom Census of 1881 recorded the people residing in every household on the night of Sunday 3 April 1881, and was the fifth of the UK censuses to include details of household members. Data recorded Details collected include: address, ...

Class: RG11; Piece: 845; Folio: 163; Page: 23; GSU roll: 1341200 Tollemache died on 16 January 1892 and was laid to rest in the family plot of

Petersham Parish Church St Peter's Church is the parish church of the village of Petersham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is part of the Diocese of Southwark in the Church of England. The main body of the church building dates from the 16th century, ...

. He left his fortune to his niece Ada, Lady Sudeley. He also left £500 to the poor, a sum augmented by gifts of £100 each from his wife and his elder brother's grandson, the

Earl of Dysart Earl of Dysart (pronounced ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1643 and has been held continuously since then by descendants of the 1st Earl, William Murray. Creation The title was created in 1643 for William Murray, ...

. Tollemache's fortune and probate was the subject of much interest. A claim by the English courts for probate duty on his investments in New Zealand was contested by his executors on the grounds that it did not form part of his English estate and that duty had already been paid on it in New Zealand. The court initially found in the executors' favour. The decision was subsequently overturned and further appeal to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

refused.

Almshouses

In 1892 his widow, Frances Louisa Tollemache, founded six

almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

Ham, London Ham is a suburban district in Richmond, south-west London. It has meadows adjoining the River Thames where the Thames Path National Trail also runs. Most of Ham is in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and, chiefly, within the ward of ...

in his memory, with an endowment of £16,000 to support three couples and three single residents. She died shortly afterwards the following year.

References

Sources

Descendants of Sir Robert de Manners, of Etal
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tollemache, Algernon Gray 1805 births 1892 deaths Almshouses in London Burials at St Peter's, Petersham Ham, London Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Petersham, London Richmond, London Algernon Gray Tollemache UK MPs 1832–1835 UK MPs 1835–1837 Younger sons of baronets Younger sons of barons