Philip Rundell (1746–1827) was a highly prosperous English jeweller, fine jewellery retailer and master jewellery makers' business proprietor, known for his association with royalty. With John Bridge, he ran and co-owned

Rundell and Bridge Rundell & Bridge were a London firm of jewellers and goldsmiths formed by Philip Rundell (1746–1827) and John Bridge (baptized 1755–1834). History When Edmond Walter Rundell, nephew of Philip Rundell, was admitted as a partner in 1804, the ...

, a firm with widespread interests in the jewellery and precious metal trades.

Background and siblings

He was born into a large family, the son of Richard Rundell and his wife Ann Ditcher, and baptised at

Norton St Philip Norton St Philip is a village and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The village lies about south of the city of Bath and north of the town of Frome on the eastern slopes of the Mendip Hills. It is situated on the A366 be ...

, near Bath, Somerset. Notable siblings were: *Francis Rundell, actor-manager *a non-notable sister (became Mrs Harpur) – mother of actress Mrs Elizabeth Bannister *Thomas Rundell of Bath, surgeon, who married writer Maria Ketelby *Elizabeth Rundell, who married London mercer Thomas Bigge (the elder, died 1791) *a non-notable sister (became Mrs Bond), whose grandson

Joseph Neeld Joseph Neeld (1789–1856) was Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom for the rotten borough of Gatton, Surrey from March to July 1830 and for Chippenham, Wiltshire, England from September 1830 to March 1856. Career Neeld was one of five b ...

was left more than half of Rundell's final wealth.

Business life

Rundell was apprenticed, and went into the London goldsmith's business Theed & Pickett which became Pickett & Rundell in 1781. The firm had a major showroom at 32

Ludgate Hill Ludgate Hill is a street and surrounding area, on a small hill in the City of London. The street passes through the former site of Ludgate, a city gate that was demolished – along with a gaol attached to it – in 1760. The area include ...

, "at the sign of the Golden Salmon", in the period around 1768 to 1785, where they retailed goods made by others such as

John Emes John Emes (1762–1810) was a British engraver and water-colour painter. His wife Rebecca Emes ran a successful silver business after his death.Anne Pimlott Baker, 'Emes, John (1762–1808)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford Un ...

. They had manufacturing subsidiaries, one run by Benjamin Smith (and for some years Digby Scott) in

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

, and another by

Paul Storr Paul Storr (baptised 28 October 1770 in London – 18 March 1844 in London) was an English goldsmith and silversmith working in the Neoclassical style, Neoclassical and other styles during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Hi ...

Dean Street Dean Street is a street in Soho, central London, running from Oxford Street south to Shaftesbury Avenue. Historical figures and places In 1764 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then a young boy, gave a recital at 21 Dean Street. Admiral Nelson stayed ...

(east of Regent Street). In 1799 he is estimated as the joint-eighth richest non-royal person in Britain, owning £1M (). He was one of ten known such British millionaires in 1799.

Retirement, death and legacy

Philip Rundell withdrew capital from the firm in 1823. He died in 1827, leaving bequests of £500,000; the residue of his estate (which amounted to £800,000) was left to

, to reward his giving up a "lucrative profession" to take care of Rundell for thirteen years. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Hendon. Money left to the Bigge family was reported to have exceeded £100,000; according to

James Losh James Losh (1763–1833) was an English lawyer, reformer and Unitarian in Newcastle upon Tyne. In politics, he was a significant contact in the North East for the national Whig leadership. William Wordsworth the poet called Losh in a letter of 182 ...

, writing in his diary after news of the death, the bequests were some compensation for having had to put up with a "tyrannical miser". The ''

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term '' magazine'' (from the French ''magazine' ...

'' reported that Rundell, unmarried and without a home, liked to spend his time with his Brompton "niece" (i.e. Maria, the wife of Thomas Bigge junior) or Elizabeth Bannister.

Background and siblings

Business life

Retirement, death and legacy

References

Further reading