James Bandinel (1783–1849) was a British official at the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...

, London, and superintendent of its

slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

department for the abolition of the slave trade.

Early life

He was born in January 1783 in the parish of St Peter in the East, Oxford, second son of Dr James Bandinel by his wife Margaret, née Dumaresq.

Career

He entered the Foreign Office as a Clerk in 1799 and became Superintendent of the Slave Trade Department. In 1807, Parliament voted to abolish the

, and in 1833 slavery itself was abolished in the British Empire. Bandinel's role was to supervise its suppression. From 1824 to his retirement in 1841, he received an annual allowance from Parliament, together with a lump sum of £1000, raised from the sale of condemned slave ships.

Marriage and family

Bandinel married, in 1813, Marian Eliza, daughter of Rev Dr Robert Hunter of Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset. The pair separated under two years later and their young son,

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, spent his childhood in six-month stays with each parent.

Philanthropy

Bandinel was a lifelong benefactor. He was instrumental in the construction of the Thames Tunnel (1828) through his close friendship with—and financial support of— Marc Isambard Brunel. In 1845, he provided land for the construction and endowment of a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Melplash Melplash is a village in western Dorset, England. It is situated on the A3066 road north of Bridport and south of Beaminster. The construction of Christ Church between 1845 and 1846 was funded by James Bandinel (who was at one time secretary ...

, Dorset. It had been an unfulfilled wish of his father to see the church built, and Bandinel saw it through to completion; the dedication ceremony was in 1846. He also donated land for a village school and schoolhouse.

Death

Bandinel died on 29 July 1849 at his house in 19 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London. He had contracted Asian cholera while staying in Salisbury. He was buried in the old St George's Hanover Square burial ground on Bayswater Road, London.

Notes

1783 births 1849 deaths People from Oxford British civil servants Deaths from cholera Infectious disease deaths in England {{UK-gov-bio-stub