Daniel Gurney (1791–1880), was an English banker and

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

from the

Gurney family A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often ...

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

Life

Gurney was born at

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 known ...

, near Norwich, on 9 March 1791, as the youngest son of John Gurney (1749–1809) of Earlham,

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, and brother of

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 ...

, the

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

Louisa Gurney Hoare Louisa Gurney Hoare (25 September 1784 – 6 September 1836) was an English diarist and writer on education, and a member of the Gurney family. She was concerned particularly with standards of education. Early life Louisa Gurney, born on 25 Sept ...

, a writer on education, and

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. His mother, Catherine, the daughter of Daniel Bell, died in 1792. He descended directly from a younger branch of the ancient family of Gurney or Gournay, which held manors in Norfolk (in the time of Henry II). After completing his education Gurney entered the Norwich firm of

Gurney's Bank Gurney's bank was a family-run bank founded by members of the Gurney family in 1770 and headquartered in Norwich, England. It merged into Barclays Bank in 1896. History The bank was founded in 1770 by John and Henry Gurney, sons of John Gurney ( ...

, of which he afterwards headed and for more than 60 years was a partner. He wrote several privately circulated essays on banking. As the head of one of the first banks in the English provinces, he gained social and political influence. His amiability, courtesy and generosity endeared him to his contemporaries. He was main figure behind the foundation of the West Norfolk and Lynn Hospital. One of Gurney's pursuits was archæology, as a prominent fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He took a great interest in

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

. In 1848 he printed in two volumes for private circulation an elaborate ''Record of the House of Gournay'', to which he added a supplement in 1858. The book was valued for its varied antiquarian information and research. Gurney, a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

in politics, was a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and deputy-lieutenant for the county of Norfolk, and filled the office of

High Sheriff of Norfolk The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually (in March) by the Crown. The High Sheriff of Norfolk was originally the principal law enforcement officer in Norfolk and presided at the assizes and other imp ...

in 1853. He married in 1822 Lady Harriet Jemima Hay (1803–1837), daughter of

William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll (12 March 1772 – 26 January 1819), known as Lord Hay until 1778, was a Scottish peer. Early life Erroll was the son of James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll and his second wife, Isabella Carr, the eldest daughter and ...

, by whom he had nine children. Their son Charles Henry Gurney married a daughter of Henry Thoby Prinsep and graduated from

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

to become a partner in Saunderson's Bank in London. Daniel Gurney died on 14 June 1880 at his seat near

North Runcton North Runcton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is west of Norwich, south-south-west of King's Lynn and north of London. The village is located a small distance south-west of the A47 between King's ...

, Norfolk.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gurney, Daniel 1791 births 1880 deaths 18th-century English people 19th-century English people People from Norwich (district) 19th-century antiquarians English antiquarians High Sheriffs of Norfolk

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...