Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet
Sir Robert Wigram | |
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Born | 30 January 1744 |
Died | 6 November 1830 | (aged 86)
Citizenship | British |
Occupation(s) | Businessman and member of parliament |
Title | Baronet |
Spouses |
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Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet(30 January 1744 – 6 November 1830) was a British merchant shipbuilder and Tory politician who sat in theHouse of Commons of Great Britainand of theUnited Kingdombetween 1802 and 1807.
Background[edit]
Wigram was born atWexford,the only son of John Wigram, merchant, ofBristol,and his wife Mary Clifford daughter of Robert Clifford of Wexford and granddaughter of Highgate Boyd.[1]
Public life[edit]
![Sir Robert Wigram military painting](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Sir_Robert_Wigram_military_painting.jpg/200px-Sir_Robert_Wigram_military_painting.jpg)
In 1762, Wigram took up an apprenticeship withDr Allen of DulwichLondon, and two years later, he was a fully qualified surgeon. He sailed to India on theEast IndiamanAdmiral Watsonas ship's surgeon, but retired from this position in 1772 because of failing health, and became a successful merchant. He developed the family's mercantile activities and made several voyages to India in the service of the company. He was the sole, or at least principal owner, of several vessels trading to Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, and was one of the greatest importers of drugs in England.[2]He was also involved in South Seas whaling, with at least seven vessels operating in the trade between 1795 and 1807.[3]
Wigram becamemember of parliamentforFoweyin 1802[4]and was a strong supporter of William Pitt. He was chairman of the meeting of the merchants and bankers during the French Revolution, and was instrumental in raising the regiment of the Sixth Royal London Volunteers, becoming their lieutenant-colonel in September 1803.[2]Also in July 1803, he led a group of shipowners in securing an act "for the further improvement of thePort of London",by making docks and other works at Blackwall for the accommodation of the East India shipping, and established theEast India Dock Company.[5]He was created abaroneton 20 October 1805. At the general election in 1806, he was chosen for theWexford Borough[6]but after the dissolution in 1807, he retired from public life. He was a vice-president of the Pitt Club. He had partnerships in theBlackwall Yard,Reid's Brewery, and Huddart's Rope Works. In 1805, he bought a large share of Deptford shipbuilders, formerlyPerry,Wells &Green,and the firm became Wigram, Wells & Green. By 1813, Wigram had taken over all of Wells' interest and it became Wigram & Green. He owned half the business, his sons Money and Loftus Wigram a quarter, and Green the remaining quarter. Wigram retired in 1819 and sold his half to the other partners.[7]He was appointedHigh Sheriff of Essexfor 1812–13, as Perry had been before him.
Wigram died at Walthamstow House, his home atWalthamstow,Essex, at the age of 86.
Family[edit]
Wigram was twice married and had a large family of 23 children.[8]His first wife was Catherine Broadhurst, by whom be had six children. Following Catherine's death, in 1787, he marriedEleanor (born Watts),widow of Captain Agnew and daughter of John Watts, secretary to the victualling office of Southampton. They had thirteen sons and four daughters.[9]His children included:
- Sir Robert Fitzwygram, 2nd Baronet
- James Wigram
- Octavius Wigram
- Joseph Cotton Wigram
- Loftus Wigram
- George Wigram.
His 12th son, Ely Duodecimus Wigram (1801–69),[10]was a lieutenant-colonel in the Coldstream Guards and compiled a scrapbook of theCrimean warthat contains a rare photograph ofMary Seacole.[11]
His 16th son, Reverend William Pitt Wigram, was the grandfather ofClive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram.Another descendant wasRalph Wigram,grandson of Joseph Cotton Wigram.
Arms[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^John Debrett,William Courthope,Debrett's Baronetage of England
- ^abEdmund Burke, John DavisThe Annual register, or, A view of the history, politics, and literature for the year 1830, Volume 72
- ^Jane M. Clayton & Charles A. Clayton,Shipowners investing in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775 to 1815,Hassobury, p.153.ISBN978-1-5262-0136-2
- ^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
- ^The East India Docks: Historical development,Survey of London: volumes 43 and 44: Poplar, Blackwall and Isle of Dogs (1994), pp. 575-582. Date accessed: 6 February 2009
- ^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 3)
- ^National Maritime Museum About the Green Blackwall CollectionArchived10 October 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^Register of the Wigram family 1743-1913
- ^Allen Memorial Art Museum
- ^Wigram, William Arthur (1913)."Register of the Wigram family, 1743-1913; being a complete record of the descendants of Sir Robert Wigram".London, Hazell.Retrieved23 June2019.
- ^Guymer, Laurence (30 January 2019). "Crimea Scrapbook, 1850s". In Foster, Richard (ed.).50 Treasures from Winchester College.SCALA. p. 114.ISBN9781785512209.
- ^"Grants and Confirmations of Arms, Vol. C".National Library of Ireland.Retrieved23 June2022.
- Gentleman's MagazineObituary 1830
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Anne Pimlott Baker,Wigram, Sir Robert, first baronet (1744–1830),2004
- Lubbock, basil(1922).Blackwall Frigates.available online at[1]
- Robert Wigram; Henry Green (1881).Chronicles of Blackwall yard.available online at[2]
- 1744 births
- 1830 deaths
- Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Wexford constituencies (1801–1922)
- UK MPs 1802–1806
- UK MPs 1806–1807
- Politicians from County Wexford
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Cornwall
- High Sheriffs of Essex
- British people in whaling
- Tory MPs (pre-1834)