Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet (1755–1834) was the founder of the
Royal Society of British Bowmen
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
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* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
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.
Biography
Foster Cunliffe was the son of Sir Robert Cunliffe, 2nd Baronet and Mary Wright. He succeeded to his father’s baronetcy on the latter’s death in 1778.
Sir Foster Cunliffe was uneasy about this because he seems to have concealed the origin of the fortune, omitting the word 'slavery' in a detailed history of his family's genealogy. His grandfather, Foster Cunliffe (1682–1758), made the money by becoming the main slave trader in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
and mayor on three occasions. His son was MP for Liverpool in 1755–67.
Sir Foster Cunliffe moved from
Saighton
Saighton (; ) is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Aldford and Saighton, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, a few miles south of Chester. The 2011 Census ...
, near
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, to the
Acton Park estate near Wrexham, Denbighshire, adding to the existing house, including adding the lavish Four Dogs gateway into the estate - all that remains of the original buildings to this day. He served as
High Sheriff of Denbighshire
The first High Sheriff of Denbighshire was John Salusbury, snr, appointed in 1540. The shrievalty of Denbighshire, together with that of Flintshire, continued until 1974 when it was abolished after the county and shrievalty of Clwyd was create ...
for 1787.
He also enlarged and improved
Pant-yr-ochainbr>
once the main house in
Gresford
Gresford (; cy, Gresffordd ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales.
According to the 2001 Census, the population of the community, which also includes the village of Marford, was 5,334, reducing to 5,010 at the 2011 cens ...
, now a well known gastro pub. The father of 11 bought the building as a home for two of his unmarried daughters, Charlotte & Emma, to take up residence. The sisters were known to hold great parties and to entertain the local gentry. These included
Charles Williams-Wynn, their brother-in-law, and the Glynne family of
Hawarden
Hawarden (; cy, Penarlâg) is a village, community (Wales), community and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in Flintshire, Wales. It is part of the Deeside conurbation on the Wales-England border and is home ...
.
Catherine Glynne married
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
, who was
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
no less than four times, and who was known to have ridden to the sisters' home in Gresford.
In addition to his archery, Sir Foster Cunliffe commanded the part-time
Wrexham Yeomanry Cavalry during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
.
Family
He married Harriet Kinloch of
Gilmerton
Gilmerton ( gd, Baile GhilleMhoire, IPA: paləˈʝiːʎəˈvɔɾʲə is a suburb of Edinburgh, about southeast of the city centre.
The toponym "Gilmerton" is derived from a combination of gd, Gille-Moire– a personal name and later surnam ...
, a noted singer, the daughter of Sir David Kinloch, 5th Baronet.
[Complete Baronetage]
Archery
One popular pursuit among the gentry was archery. In fact, Sir Foster Cunliffe and the Williams-Wynns were founders of the Society of British Bowmen, later the
Royal Society of British Bowmen
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a ci ...
, which was formed at
Acton Hall
Acton ( cy, Gwaunyterfyn) is a suburb and community in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It spans the north-eastern part of Wrexham. The area is largely residential and at its centre, lies Acton Park ( cy, Parc Gwaunyterfyn / Parc Acton ...
in 1787.
A painting of Sir Foster Cunliffe by
John Hoppner
John Hoppner (4 April 175823 January 1810) was an English portrait painter, much influenced by Reynolds, who achieved fame as a brilliant colourist.
Early life
Hoppner was born in Whitechapel, London, the son of German parents – his mothe ...
shows him standing full length in a wooded landscape, wearing an archer's uniform, with green coat, buff yellow breeches and hessian boots. His archer's plumed black hat rests at his feet. A campaign is underway in Wrexham to raise money to buy the painting which was displayed at the Wrexham Art Treasures and Industrial Exhibition of 1876. Apparently, the exhibition was the cultural highpoint of 19th century Wrexham, with paintings by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Lawrence.
Legacy
Before his death, Acton Park was the chief house of Wrexham. The house was rebuilt between 1687–95 and enlarged in 1786-7 when the Foster Cunliffes moved in. The park was created in the 1790s. His son, Sir Robert inherited the house and it was given to his grandson, also Sir Robert. An MP for
Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...
and then
Denbigh
Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a market town and a community in Denbighshire, Wales. Formerly, the county town, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the Clwydian Hills.
History
...
, he died in 1905 and was the last of the family to own Acton Hall, which became known locally as Acton Park. By the 1920s descendants had sold the land piecemeal and the hall was demolished in 1954.
References
* Denbighshire Historical Society Translations (Volume 51)
Pant yr Ochain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunliffe, Foster
1755 births
People from Wrexham
1834 deaths
Denbighshire Hussars officers
Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain
High Sheriffs of Denbighshire