John Benjamin Heath FRS FSA (6 June 1790 – 16 January 1879) was

Governor of the Bank of England The governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the bank, with the incumbent grooming their successor. The governor of the Ba ...

from 1845 to 1847.

Early life

He was born the son of the merchant John Heath and grandson of the scholar

Benjamin Heath Benjamin Heath, D.C.L. (10 April 170413 September 1766) was an English classical scholar and bibliophile. Life He was born at Exeter, the eldest of three sons of Benjamin Heath, a wealthy merchant, and Elizabeth Kelland. He devoted himself mainl ...

. He was educated at

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

Career

Like his father, he became a successful London merchant who was appointed to be

Deputy Governor of the Bank of England A Deputy Governor of the Bank of England is the holder of one of a small number of senior positions at the Bank of England, reporting directly to the Governor. According to the original charter of 27 July 1694 the Bank's affairs would be supervis ...

from 1842 to 1845, replaced William Cotton as

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and was succeeded in turn by William Robinson. He was elected a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

in 1832 and a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1843.

Family grave of John Benjamin Heath in Highgate Cemetery

Heath was appointed

Consul General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

to the

King of Sardinia The following is a list of rulers of Sardinia, in particular, of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica from 1323 and then of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1479 to 1861. Early history Owing to the absence of written sources, little ...

and in 1867 he was created a

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

. On his death in 1879 he was buried in

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...

Personal life

Heath married Sophia Bland, the daughter of physician Robert Bland and brother of Australian pioneer

William Bland William Bland (5 November 1789 – 21 July 1868) was a transported convict, medical practitioner and surgeon, politician, farmer and inventor in the Colony of New South Wales, Australia. Early life Bland was born in London on 5 November 1789 ...

References

External links

1790 births 1879 deaths People educated at Harrow School British merchants British bankers Deputy Governors of the Bank of England Governors of the Bank of England Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Fellows of the Royal Society Burials at Highgate Cemetery Barons in the Peerage of Sardinia 19th-century English businesspeople {{England-business-bio-stub

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References

External links