Richard Peek (3 October 1782 - 7 March 1867) was a tea merchant in London from modest beginnings in

Loddiswell Loddiswell is a parish and village in the South Hams district of Devon, England. It lies on the west side of the River Avon or Aune and is three miles NNW from Kingsbridge. There is evidence of occupation going back to Roman times. The villages ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

. He rose to be one of the

Sheriffs of the City of London Two sheriffs are elected annually for the City of London by the Liverymen of the City livery companies. Today's sheriffs have only nominal duties, but the historical officeholders had important judicial responsibilities. They have attended the ju ...

. He was a known abolitionist and philanthropist in his home area. Whilst sheriff he sent a missionary into

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey Street just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, t ...

Biography

Peek was born 3 October 1782 at Halsenwood villa (later Hazelwood) to John and his wife Susannah (née Foxworthy). Peek left his birthplace in

to go to Plymouth where he worked for a grocer. He reputedly walked to London and remet a Quaker who arranged for his new employment at a tea merchants called ''Sanderson and Barklay''. Peek did so well that not only was he promoted but two of his brothers also travelled up from Devon to join the trade. The three brothers, Richard, William and James Peek eventually set up their own firm in 1823 (after William initially led the way with a family business in 1818). The business prospered as the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

's monopoly on the importation of tea ended and ''Peek Bros and Co.'' set up offices in Liverpool. This firm was still in business in 1958 trading as ''Peek Bros. and Winch''. Peek was elected to be on the

Corporation of London The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United King ...

and subsequently one of the

in 1832. During his tenure as Sheriff he funded a missionary to visit the prisoners in

. He was also noted for his hatred of capital punishment and it was said that he would meet the Secretary of State at odd hours in an attempt to intercede on behalf of the condemned.Richard Peek - Obituary
Christian Witness and Congregationalist Magazine, p281, 1867, accessed April 2009 The Secretary of State at the time was

Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...

. Peek had built a home called ''Hazelwood'' in his home village and had moved his father into the house. This house was on the same site of a previous building where Richard was born. The partnership between the Peek brothers in Liverpool was dissolved "by mutual consent" on 30 May 1834 when Richard retired from the business. The remaining business was in

Eastcheap Eastcheap is a street in central London that is a western continuation of Great Tower Street towards Monument junction. Its name derives from ''cheap'', the Old English word for market, with the prefix 'East' distinguishing it from Westcheap, an ...

in London. He retired from that as well on 21 December 1838. Peek was on the organising committee and attended the 1840 World's Anti-slavery convention in London and he was included in the painting which is now in the National Portrait Gallery in London.The Anti-Slavery Society Convention
, 1840,

Benjamin Robert Haydon Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 178622 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, although he also painted a few contemporary subjects and portraits. His commercial success was damaged by his often tactles ...

, accessed April 2009 The second international Anti-Slavery convention was in 1843 when Peek was a vice-president of the convention with other notables including John Cropper"Proceedings of the General Anti-Slavery Convention, called by the committee of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, and held in London from Tuesday June 13th to Tuesday June 20th, 1843"
accessed April 2009 who had also had a business in Liverpool. Peek took the chair of the convention when Samuel Gurney had to leave. Peek was reported as being an instigator of ''The Patriot'' magazine which did much for forwarding abolitionism in Britain. One of his gifts was a contribution towards a chapel at Dodbrooke in Kingsbridge, which was to be used by the Bible Christians;Kingsbridge and its surroundings
S.P.Fox, 1867, p80-90 in addition, he supplied weekly free medical attention in his home village as well as funding a news and reading room in 1839.
1870, accessed April 2009 After he retired back to Loddiswell he became a magistrate known for his philanthropy. He gave land for a local school in 1841 and later gave land to fund its upkeep The British School was founded in 1853. Early records show that the fees of many early students were met by the school, moreover Richard Peek would open his home once a year to give tea to the local Sunday schools. This building is still the local primary school. Peek died 7 March 1867, without issue, in Kingsbridge and an alabaster pulpit was paid for in his memory and erected at his local church.Loddiswell from some Old Devon Churches
J. Stabb, 1908, via Genuki, accessed April 2009 He was buried in the catacombs under Hazelwood. Members of Peek's family lived at Hazelwood near the River Avon and they have served as

High Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

in 1912 and 1980. Current surviving descendants include Sir Richard who still lives in Devon, and his three sons Timothy, Michael, and Matthew Peek.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peek, Richard 1867 deaths 1782 births English abolitionists People from South Hams (district) Sheriffs of the City of London