Henry Waymouth (21 January 1775– 23 January 1848), also spelt Weymouth, was a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

activist and campaigner, and a founder of the

South Australian Company The South Australian Company, also referred to as the South Australia Company, was formed in London on 9 October 1835, after the '' South Australia (Foundation) Act 1834'' had established the new British Province of South Australia, with the S ...

. Waymouth was born in Exeter, the son of Henry (d.1803) and Sarah Waymouth (née Bryant, c. 1750–after 1811). In 1799 he married Sarah Thorpe (d. 1848). After moving to London, he became involved in numerous organizations intended to advance the position of

Dissenters A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Usage in Christianity Dissent from the Anglican church In the social and religious history of England and Wales, an ...

. He was a member of the Committee for the Repeal of the

Test and Corporation Acts The Test Acts were a series of English penal laws that served as a religious test for public office and imposed various civil disabilities on Roman Catholics and nonconformists. The underlying principle was that only people taking communion in ...

, 1827–28 and he was deputy chairman (1825–32) and then chairman (1832–44) of the civil rights organization

Protestant Dissenting Deputies The Protestant dissenting deputies (also known as the Deputies of the Three Denominations of Dissenters) were a group in the 18th and 19th centuries in England, consisting of two representatives from each congregation of the dissenting denominatio ...

. In the autumn of 1824, Waymouth was active in a scheme circulated by Daniel Bogue for a

Dissenting Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...

university, joining a provisional committee, but the following year he met with Henry Brougham and others to explore folding these plans into the developing plan for the

non-sectarian Nonsectarian institutions are Secularity, secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. Academic sphere Examples of US universities that identify themselves as being nonsectarian i ...

self-styled "London University" (later renamed

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

). When the new university was founded in 1826, Waymouth was a member of its first council, and he continued to be active over a number of years. He was involved in several other educational organizations, including being a long-lasting committee member of the

Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK) was founded in London in 1826, mainly at the instigation of Whig MP Henry Brougham, with the object of publishing information to people who were unable to obtain formal teaching or who pr ...

(1826) and one of the managers of the

London Institution The London Institution was an educational institution founded in London in 1806 (not to be confused with the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom founded the previous year, with which it shared some founders). It ...

. In 1823, Waymouth became a founding committee member of the Anti-Slavery Society. He was also one of the founding financial backers and a Director of the South Australian Company, which was formed in January 1836.

Waymouth Street, Adelaide Waymouth Street, often spelt as Weymouth Street in the early days, is an east–west street running between King William Street and West Terrace in the Adelaide city centre in South Australia. The street is named after Henry Waymouth, a foundi ...

took its name from him. On his death in London on 23 January 1848, Thomas Fussell, the second largest shareholder, was elected to the vacant position.

References

External links

Archival Material, Dissenters' Collection, 1785-1835, University of Kansas ArchivesWill, National Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waymouth, Henry 1774 births 1848 deaths Australian financial businesspeople Directors of the South Australian Company 19th-century Australian businesspeople Committee members of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge