Francis Algernon Govett (1858 - October 27, 1926) was a British
stockbroker
A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks an ...
who was a director of many mining companies, was closely involved with future American president
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
, and later became the chairman of the Burma Corporation. His business practices were sharply criticized by anti-corruption campaigner
Walter Liggett
Walter William Liggett (February 14, 1886 – December 9, 1935), was an American journalist who worked at several newspapers in New York City, including the ''New York Times'', '' The Sun'', ''New York Post'', and the '' New York Daily News''.
...
in his 1932 book, ''The rise of Herbert Hoover''.
Early life
Francis Algernon Govett was born in 1858, the eldest son of Adolphus Frederick Govett of
Laleham
Laleham is a village on the River Thames, in the Borough of Spelthorne, about west of central London, England. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, it was transferred to Surrey in 1965. Laleham is downriver from Staines-upon-Thames a ...
, a director of the South-Western Railway. He received his BA in law from
University College
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...
,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, in 1880, after which he embarked on a career in the City of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
["Mr. F.A. Govett", ''The Times'', 28 October 1926, p. 14.]
Career
Govett became a partner in the stockbroking firm of Govett, Sons, and Co. in 1879. Early in his career he took an interest in the discoveries of silver-lead and zinc at
Broken Hill
Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...
in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia, and throughout his life took an active part in the management of companies exploiting those resources and other mining discoveries.
[
He was closely involved with mining engineer and businessman John Agnew and future American president ]Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
, also a mining engineer, and together they were involved in promoting many mining companies from which Govett and his fellow directors made a great deal of money while many private shareholders lost money.["Mr. J. A. Agnew", ''The Times'', 4 August 1939, p. 14.]
He was managing director of the Zinc Corporation for many years and became chairman of the Burma Corporation.[
]
Family
His son was commander Leonard Evelyn Romaine Govett (RNVR) who died in 1944 or 1945 at Sydney, New South Wales, in a plane crash.
Death
Govett died at Sunningdale
Sunningdale is a large village with a retail area and a civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. It takes up the extreme south-east corner of Berkshire, England. It has a railway station on the (London) Waterloo to Reading ...
, Berkshire, on 27 October 1926.[
]
References
Further reading
''F.A. Govett, chairman and managing director the Zinc Corporation 1907–1926''
by John J. Kelly, 2008.
1858 births
1926 deaths
English stockbrokers
Alumni of University College, Oxford
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