Alexander Peckover, 1st Baron Peckover LL

FRGS The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

, FSA, FLS (16 August 1830 – 21 October 1919), was an English

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

banker, philanthropist and collector of ancient manuscripts.

Early years

Peckover was born at

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

, the son of Algernon Peckover, of Bank House, Wisbech, by Priscilla Alexander, daughter of Dykes Alexander, a Quaker banker, of

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

. Priscilla Hannah Peckover was his sister. He was educated at Grove House School,

Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...

, London.thepeerage.com Alexander Peckover, 1st and last Baron Peckover
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Career

The Peckovers were a

banking family and owners of the Peckover Bank, which later merged into Gurney, Peckover and Company, he started as a clerk in 1847 and worked his way up and became a partner in 1866 retiring in 1894. His sister Priscilla Hannah Peckover was a pacifist and linguist. Peckover was also an active peace campaigner, chairing annual meetings of the Wisbech Local Peace Association.

Retirement

In his retirement he devoted himself mainly to meteorological studies and the collection of ancient manuscripts.''The New York Times'': "Lord Peckover died at 89."
/ref> He was a Fellow of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

, the Society of Antiquaries and the

Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript a ...

and a member of the

Hakluyt Society The Hakluyt Society is a text publication society, founded in 1846 and based in London, England, which publishes scholarly editions of primary records of historic voyages, travels and other geographical material. In addition to its publishin ...

Spalding Gentlemen's Society The Spalding Gentlemen's Society is a learned society based in Spalding, Lincolnshire, Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, concerned with cultural, scientific and antiquarian subjects. It is Britain's oldest such provincial body, founded in 1710 by ...

and the

British Numismatic Society The British Numismatic Society exists to promote the study and understanding of British numismatics. The Society was founded in 1903, focusing on all forms of coinage, tokens, banknotes and medals relating to the British Isles and former parts ...

. In 1893, he was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, a post he held until 1906. Peckover was the first commoner and nonconformist to hold the office of Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire. As a Quaker he was allowed to wear court dress instead of a military uniform and was not required to participate in military functions. The following year he was raised to the peerage as Baron Peckover, of Wisbech in the County of Cambridge. In 1905

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

awarded him the honorary degree of LL.D. After his death part of the estates were sold off by auction at the Alexandra Theatre, Wisbech in 1920.

Family

Peckover married Eliza Sharples, daughter of Joseph Sharples, a banker, of

Hitchin Hitchin () is a market town in the North Hertfordshire Districts of England, district of Hertfordshire, England. The town dates from at least the 7th century. It lies in the valley of the River Hiz at the north-eastern end of the Chiltern Hills ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, in 1858. They had three daughters Elizabeth Josephine, Alexandrina and Anna Jane. He is said to have declined the offer of a special remainder that would have allowed the title to descend through his eldest daughter to his grandson, stating that "if my grandson wants the title he must earn it". Eliza died in August 1862, only a year after the birth of her youngest child. Lord Peckover remained a widower until his death in October 1919, aged 89. His title died with him. His daughter Elizabeth married the artist

J. Doyle Penrose James Doyle Penrose RHA JP (9 May 1862 – 2 January 1932) was an Irish painter known for his religious and mythological paintings. He was the father of psychiatrist and mathematician Lionel Penrose and of artist Roland Penrose and the grandfat ...

, they had four sons : Alexander Peckover, Lionel Sharples, Roland Algernon and Bernard Edmund.

Legacy

Bank House (now

Peckover House and Garden Peckover House & Garden is a National Trust property located in North Brink, Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. History The house was built in 1722 and later bought by Alfred Southwell. It was bought by Jonathan Peckover at the end ...

) is now a

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

property, the estate is let to local sports clubs, Wisbech Rugby Union Club, Hockey and Cricket clubs. Nearby is Peckover Primary school. In 1864 Peckover's father Algernon founded the Wisbech Social Club and Institute; with the aim of providing the industrial classes an educational and recreational facility. In 1864 a group of gentleman banking friends including the Barclay brothers took Peckover on a Grand Tour of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

to ease his broken heart after the death of his young wife. Some of the objects he brought back are now in the

Wisbech & Fenland Museum The Wisbech & Fenland Museum, located in the town of Wisbech in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the United Kingdom. The museum logo is W&F. History Initially a member-based organisation, ...

. Bank House became too small for the banking business and a new bank building was built nearby on the Old Market, this later became one of the two

Barclays Barclays PLC (, occasionally ) 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 ...

Bank branches in the town, the branch closed in 2022. The ceremonial mace presented by Peckover to the Municipal Borough of Wisbech is still in use by the borough's successor

Wisbech Town Council Wisbech Town Council is a Parish councils in England, parish council covering the town of Wisbech in England. It is the successor to the Wisbech Municipal Borough. The Council is based at Wisbech Town Hall, 1 North Brink, Wisbech where its com ...

. Roads in Wisbech are named Quaker Lane, Peckover Drive and Penrose Gardens after the baron and his family.

References

External links

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"The Peckovers"
The Wisbech Society and Preservation Trust Limited {{DEFAULTSORT:Peckover, Alexander Peckover, 1st Baron 1830 births 1919 deaths Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Lord-lieutenants of Cambridgeshire Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Fellows of the Linnean Society of London Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London English Quakers People from Wisbech Peers created by Edward VII