Joseph Denison (c.1726–1806) was a London businessman and banker, originally from the present-day county of

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. By the time of his death he had amassed a considerable fortune, and was owner of country estates in both

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

and the

North Riding of Yorkshire The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres). From the Restoration it was used as ...

. These were passed on to his son William Joseph Denison, whose even greater accumulated wealth was to play a significant role in underpinning the financial standing and social status of the later Earls of Londesborough.

Life

Denison had come from a simple background; his parents were of low ranking and little means in West Yorkshire. Definitive information is not available as to exactly how his fortune was made but seemingly he travelled to London where he became associated with the Heywood family of bankers, later becoming a partner in the company. Richard Vickerman Taylor described the immense wealth accumulated by Denison as being gained through "unabated industry and the most rigid frugality". Five years after purchasing

Denbies Denbies is a large estate to the northwest of Dorking in Surrey, England. A farmhouse and surrounding land originally owned by John Denby was purchased in 1734 by Jonathan Tyers, the proprietor of Vauxhall Gardens in London, and converted into ...

, the Seamere ( Seamer) estate, near

Scarborough, Yorkshire Scarborough () is a seaside town in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Scarborough is located on the North Sea coastline. Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town lies between 10 and 230 feet (3–70 m) above ...

, was added to his portfolio after he acquired it from the

Duke of Leeds Duke of Leeds was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1694 for the prominent statesman Thomas Osborne, 1st Marquess of Carmarthen, who had been one of the Immortal Seven in the Revolution of 1688. He had already succeeded as ...

. Denison had a son, William Joseph, and two daughters,

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

and Anna Maria from his second wife. By the time of the

Regency era The Regency era of British history officially spanned the years 1811 to 1820, though the term is commonly applied to the longer period between and 1837. George III of the United Kingdom, King George III succumbed to mental illness in late 18 ...

the family were the personification of prosperity and

social status Social status is the level of social value a person is considered to possess. More specifically, it refers to the relative level of respect, honour, assumed competence, and deference accorded to people, groups, and organizations in a society. Stat ...

Legacy

Denison died on 12 December 1806 and the estate and all other properties were inherited by his son. He is buried at

Bunhill Fields Bunhill Fields is a former burial ground in central London, in the London Borough of Islington, just north of the City of London. What remains is about in extent and the bulk of the site is a public garden maintained by the City of London Cor ...

with his second wife; a Grade II listed monument is on their tomb.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Denison, Joseph 1726 births 1806 deaths English bankers English landowners