Samuel Hoare Jr (9 August 1751 – 14 July 1825) was a wealthy British

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

banker and

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

born in

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area occupying the north-west part of the London Borough of Hackney in north-east London, England. It is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington the ancient parish. The ...

, then to the north of London in the county of

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

. His London seat was Heath House on

Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band ...

. He was one of the twelve founding members of the

Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, also known as the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and sometimes referred to as the Abolition Society or Anti-Slavery Society, was a British abolitionist group formed on ...

Background

Hoare's parents were Samuel Hoare (1716–1796), a London merchant from an Irish background, and Grizell Gurnell (c. 1722–1802), of

Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was his ...

.''Memoirs of Samuel Hoare by his daughter Sarah and his widow Hannah'', ed. F. R. Pryor. Headley Brothers, Bishopsgate, London 1911. It was a numerous family, although the eldest son, Joseph, died at 25. His only surviving brother Jonathan, merchant of Throgmorton Street and partner in Gurnell, Hoare & Co, built Paradise House (now Clissold House and open to the public), a mansion in what became

Clissold Park Clissold Park is an open space in Stoke Newington, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is bounded by Greenway Close (to the north), Church Street (south), Green Lanes (west) and Queen Elizabeth's Walk (east); the south-east corner abuts St ...

, across

Stoke Newington Church Street Stoke Newington Church Street is a road in north London of the borough of Hackney. The road links Green Lanes (A105) in the west to Stoke Newington High Street (the A10, formerly Ermine Street), in the east. Stoke Newington is one of the vi ...

from the family home in Paradise Row. Jonathan ran into financial difficulties, which led Samuel Jr to attempt to assist him. One of their sisters married Thomas Bradshaw, a linen manufacturer in Ireland. Another, Mary, married the abolitionist Joseph Woods and bore the more famous botanist and architect son of the same name. The youngest sister Grizell (1757-1835) married Wilson Birkbeck in 1801, having stayed at home as nurse and companion to her father; as a wealthy 72-year-old widow, she married William Allen, another notable Quaker abolitionist, with whom she founded

Newington Academy for Girls The Newington Academy for Girls, also known as Newington College for Girls, was a Quaker school established in 1824 in Stoke Newington, then north of London. In a time when girls' educational opportunities were limited, it offered a wide rang ...

in 1824. Their elderly marriage was greeted by a satirical cartoon entitled "Sweet William & Grizzell–or–Newington nunnery in an uproar!!!" by Robert Cruikshank.

Early life

Samuel Jr was sent away to school when he was five years old, returning home only once a year. The school was in

Penketh Penketh is a civil parish and suburb of Warrington in the Borough of Warrington, Cheshire, England. It is located about west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 8,699. It is in the historic county of Cheshire. The name is derive ...

, between

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

and

Widnes Widnes ( ) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 61,464. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form th ...

on the Irwell, and was run by

Gilbert Thompson Gilbert Thompson (21 March 1839 – 8 June 1909) was an American typographer, draftsman, topographer, and soldier. Biography Early life and Civil War Born on March 21, 1839, in of Mendon, Massachusetts, his father had helped combat the Dorr Rebel ...

. In his mid-teens he became apprenticed to Henry Gurney in Norwich, a woollen manufacturer. He had some connection with the Freshfield family there;

James William Freshfield James William Freshfield (8 April 1774 – 27 June 1864) was an English lawyer and founder of the international law firm of Freshfields. He was also a Conservative politician and Member of Parliament, representing the seats of Penryn and Boston. ...

lived in Fleetwood House on

. He followed several branches of the Hoare family in pursuing a career in banking. He married Sarah (1757–1783), eldest daughter of Samuel Gurney (1723–1770) of the Gurney family in Norwich. Ninety friends and relatives witnessed their marriage. They lived first in Old Broad Street and could afford four servants without scrimping. Their children were

Sarah Hoare Sarah Hoare (1777–1856) was a British author and artist known for her scientific poetry. Biography Hoare was born on 7 July 1777 in Old Broad Street in the parish of St Peter le Poer, London to Samuel and Sarah (née Gurney) Hoare.General ...

(born 1777), Hannah (born 1779), and Grizell (known as Sophia or Sophy) (born 1781), and then a longed-for son, Samuel (1783–1847): "My brother was born January 14th, 1783. My father was so delighted with this event, that he hastened to his friend Mrs. Chorley that she might share his pleasure. "I have too much good news," he said, "for one day. The birth of a son, and peace concluded with America." Sarah died ten days later, and was buried at

Winchmore Hill Winchmore Hill is a suburb and electoral ward in the Borough of Enfield, North London, in the N21 postal district. With the Winchmore Hill conservation area as a focal point, the district is bounded on the east by Green Lanes (the A105 road ...

. The widower moved his family back to Stoke Newington, in the same street as his father, so that his sisters, particularly Grizell, could help with raising the children.

Work

His main interests at this time were the abolition of the

slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and the establishment of

Sunday schools A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

across the country. He was also involved in a plan to establish a free black colony in

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

. Many of his neighbours were abolitionists. From 1774 James Stephen (British politician), James Stephen spent his summers in Stoke Newington at the Summerhouse next to Fleetwood House. In 1772 he became a junior partner in the Lombard Street bank of Bland and Barnett, which became Barnett, Hoare & Co. The bank traded under the sign of the black horse. Further mergers followed, to form Barnetts, Hoares, Hanbury & Lloyd and ultimately in 1884, Lloyds Banking Company took over Barnetts, Hoares, Hanbury & Lloyd in a bid to gain a foothold in London and acquired the black horse sign which continues in use as the

Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank plc is a British retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales. It has traditionally been considered one of the " Big Four" clearing banks. Lloyds Bank is the largest retail bank in Britain, and has an exte ...

logo. The leading partner in Barnetts, Hoares, Hanbury & Lloyd, Edward Broadie Hoare, joined the Lloyds board of directors and became Deputy Chairman. In 1788 Samuel Hoare Jr married Hannah Sterry, the 19-year-old daughter of Henry and Mary Sterry, of Bush Hill,

Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...

and

Hatton Garden Hatton Garden is a street and commercial zone in the Holborn district of the London Borough of Camden, abutting the narrow precinct of Saffron Hill which then abuts the City of London. It takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton, a favouri ...

. The family holidayed in

Cromer Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline. The local government authorities are Nor ...

, and kept up the connections with his first wife's relatives. Later his illness drove him to take the family to

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Pl ...

, where a medical man advised him that the New River, running so close to Stoke Newington Church Street and Clissold Park, might be harming his health. In 1790 they moved to higher ground, to Heath House, a prominent mansion in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough o ...

. In 1794 they became friends with

Anna Laetitia Barbauld Anna Laetitia Barbauld (, by herself possibly , as in French, Aikin; 20 June 1743 – 9 March 1825) was a prominent English poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, and author of children's literature. A " woman of letters" who published in mu ...

, and through her met

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted ...

. They knew Amelia Alderson, later Mrs Opie,

Mary Knowles Mary Morris Knowles (1733–1807), was an English Quaker poet and abolitionist. She spoke out in favour of choosing her own spouse, argued on behalf of scientific education for women, helped develop a new form of needle painting, confronted Samue ...

, the intimate of

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

, and

William Savery William Savery (July 14, 1750 - June 19, 1804) was an American Quaker, an active preacher, an abolitionist and a defender of the rights of Native Americans. In 1798, during his traveling ministry to Europe, he preached at a Quaker meeting for ...

, a Philadelphia minister. In Bath in a later year he conversed with

Hannah More Hannah More (2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833) was an English religious writer, philanthropist, poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, who wrote on moral and religious subjects. Born in Bristol, she taught at a ...

Children and descendants

In 1802 his daughter Hannah married Thomas Marlborough Pryor. His son Samuel (1783–1847) learned banking in Lombard Street from 1803, and in 1806 he married Louisa Gurney (1784–1836) of

Earlham Hall Earlham Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. It is located just to the west of the city of Norwich, on Earlham Road, on the outskirts of the village of Earlham. For generations it was the home of the Gurney family. The Gurneys were kn ...

near Norwich. This connected the family to ( Gurney's Bank), and also to Louisa's siblings

Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney; 21 May 1780 – 12 October 1845), sometimes referred to as Betsy Fry, was an English prison reformer, social reformer, philanthropist and Quaker. Fry was a major driving force behind new legislation to improve the tr ...

, prison reformer,

Joseph John Gurney Joseph John Gurney (2 August 1788 – 4 January 1847) was a banker in Norwich, England and a member of the Gurney family of that city. He became an evangelical minister of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), whose views and actions led, ...

and Samuel Gurney, philanthropists, and

Daniel Gurney Daniel Gurney (1791–1880), was an English banker and antiquary from the Gurney family of Norwich. Life Gurney was born at Earlham Hall, near Norwich, on 9 March 1791, as the youngest son of John Gurney (1749–1809) of Earlham, Norfolk, and ...

, banker and antiquary. The marriage was strongly supported by Samuel Hoare Jr. According to his daughter Sarah, "I know of no event which gave my father more pleasure than the engagement of his son to the daughter of his old friend. With perfect confidence in her principles, and a persuasion that she would make my brother happy, he was pleased with her being, like my mother, a Norfolk woman, and interested himself much in procuring for them an house at Hampstead that they might be established near him." His descendants included Sir Samuel Hoare, M.P., and

Viscount Templewood Viscount Templewood, of Chelsea in the County of Middlesex, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 14 July 1944 for the Conservative politician and former Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, 2n ...

. His banking firm later merged with those of

and

Barclays 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 ...

to form part of

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 ...

.The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution, 1770–1823, David Brion Davis. The archaeologist

Francis Pryor Francis Manning Marlborough Pryor (born 13 January 1945) is an English archaeologist specialising in the study of the Bronze and Iron Ages in Britain. He is best known for his discovery and excavation of Flag Fen, a Bronze Age archaeological si ...

is his four times great-grandson.

Beliefs

The historian Peter Brock notes that Hoare was not wholly convinced by Quaker pacifism and quotes him as saying that he "looked upon arin the present state of society as a necessary evil" and that it "is the duty of a man to defend his country".

Background

Early life

Work

Children and descendants

Beliefs

References

See also