Thomas Robins Bolitho (1840–1925) was an English banker and landowner, who served as

High Sheriff of Cornwall Sheriffs and high sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list: The right to choose high sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Privy Council, chaired by the sovereign, chooses the sheriffs of all other English counties, ot ...

in 1890.

Early life and education

Bolitho was born on 13 September 1840 in

Penzance Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...

, the son of Thomas Simon Bolitho (1808–1877) and Elizabeth Robins. The Bolithos were an old Cornish family from

Madron Madron ( kw, Eglos Madern) is a civil parish and village in west Cornwall, Great Britain. Madron is named after Saint Madern's Church. Its annual Trafalgar Service commemorating the death of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson was started on 27 Octo ...

which found its fortune in trading and banking, by 1885, they were known as the "merchant princes" of Cornwall. 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 ...

and at

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 12th ...

Career

He joined his family's banking company, Robins, Foster, Coode and Bolitho Co., in 1880, and was a director from 1887, and when that company was taken over by

Barclays Bank Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services. Barclays traces ...

in 1905, became a director of the latter. He was married to Augusta Jane Wilson on 30 June 1870, in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

. In 1877, he inherited Trengwainton, a

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

near

, from his father. He was

in 1890. Bolitho retired from Barclays in 1918 and died on 28 September 1925, without issue. He left Trengwainton to his nephew,

Edward Hoblyn Warren Bolitho Sir Edward Hoblyn Warren Bolitho (20 April 1882 – 18 December 1969) was a Cornish landowner and politician. He was Chairman of Cornwall County Council from 1941 to 1952 and Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall from 1936 to 1962, for some years servin ...

. His cousin

Thomas Bedford Bolitho Thomas Bedford Bolitho (5 January 1835 – 22 May 1915) was a British banker and industrialist. He was a Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament for St Ives in Cornwall from 1887 to 1900. Early life Born in Penzance, Bolitho was the third son, a ...

(1835–1915), a

Liberal Unionist The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...

, was MP for St Ives, from 1887 to 1900.

Legacy

The Thomas Simon Bolitho Institute was established in

Landithy Madron ( kw, Eglos Madern) is a civil parish and village in west Cornwall, Great Britain. Madron is named after Saint Madern's Church. Its annual Trafalgar Service commemorating the death of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson was started on 27 Octo ...

some time between 1909 and 1920. The

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

's 'Saint' class locomotive number 173 (later 2973), was named ''Robins Bolitho'' upon its creation in March 1905, in his honour. An etching of a painting of Bolitho on his horse, by

Alfred Munnings Sir Alfred James Munnings, (8 October 1878 – 17 July 1959) was known as one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken critic of Modernism. Engaged by Lord Beaverbrook's Canadian War Memorials Fund, he earned several prest ...

, titled ''Thomas Robins Bolitho On Barum. Master of The Western Fox Hounds Since 1864'' is in the collection of

Penlee House Penlee House is a museum and art gallery located in the town of Penzance in Cornwall, and is home to a great many paintings by members of the Newlyn School, including many by Stanhope Forbes, Norman Garstin, Walter Langley and Lamorna Birch ...

. A study for the work, comprising three portrait sketches of Bolitho, also survives. A "Robins Bolitho Challenge Shield" was presented to the GWR's Truro Ambulance Team, in 1921, and, by "Mrs Robins Bolitho", to their Penzance (No1) team in 1927.

Notes

References

External links

Colour print of the Munnings painting

Photograph of a memorial to Bolitho
at

St Maddern's Church, Madron St Maddern's Church is the parish church of Madron, near Penzance in Cornwall and was once the mother church of Morvah and Penzance. It is a Grade I listed building. Architecture The church is a large building of the 15th century; however it r ...