William Joseph Denison

William Joseph Denison, MP
Print of an engraving of Denison byWilliam Giller,afterFrederick Richard Say.
Member of Parliament
In office 1796–1802 Serving withJohn Angerstein
Preceded by	William Smith
Succeeded by	Robert Adair
Constituency	Camelford
In office 1806–1807 Serving withJohn Staniforth
Preceded by	Samuel Thornton
Succeeded by	Philip Stanhope
Constituency	Kingston–upon–Hull
In office 1818–1832 Serving with George Holme Sumner(1818–1826) Charles Nicholas Pallmer(1826–1830) John Ivatt Briscoe(1830–1832)
Preceded by	Samuel Thornton
Succeeded by	Constituency divided
Constituency	Surrey
In office 1832–1849 Serving with John LeechorLeach (1832–1835) Charles Barclay (1835–1837) George Perceval(1837–1840) John Trotter(1840–1847) Henry Drummond(1847–1849)
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	William John Evelyn
Constituency	West Surrey
Personal details
Born	(1769-05-12)12 May 1769 West Yorkshire
Died	2 August 1849(1849-08-02)(aged 80) Pall Mall,London
Resting place	Bunhill Fields
Political party	Whig
Spouse	None
Children	None
Parent	Joseph Denison(father)
Relatives	Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham(sister) Anna Maria,Baroness Wenlock(sister)
Occupation	Banker Politician Landowner

William Joseph Denison(12 May 1769 – 2 August 1849), son ofJoseph Denison(c.1726 – 1806), was an English banker,politician,landowner, andphilanthropist.

Life

Denison's signature, from
a letter of 1831.

William was born inPrinces Street,Lothbury,the only son ofJoseph Denison(1726?–1806), who had gone toLondonfrom the west ofYorkshireat an early age and amassed a fortune.

William was a highly successful banker and became a senior partner in the firm of Denison, Heywood, & Kennard (based inLombard Street,London). He also had a long political career, first serving as aWhigMPforCamelfordbetween 1796 and 1802. In 1806 he was elected to theconstituencyofKingston upon Hull,and representedSurreyfrom 1818 until 1832. Following the passing of theReform Act 1832(2 & 3 Will. 4.c. 45), he was returned as an MP for the newly created constituency ofWest Surrey,then held the seat for the remainder of his life.

Denison's house on hisDenbiesestate, c.1840.

Upon the death of his father in 1806, Denison acquired estates in Yorkshire (Seamer,south ofScarborough) and Surrey (Denbies,nearDorking). During the course of his lifetime, he extended the boundaries of the latter considerably through the purchase of adjoining land from both theDuke of Norfolkand theEarl of Verulam.Denison also increased the size of his financial inheritance to such an extent that, following his death inPall Mall, London,on 2 August 1849, the gross value of his estate was an estimated £2,300,000 (equivalent to around £184 million in 2017). He was selectedHigh Sheriff of Yorkshirefor 1808/09. Having never married, virtually all of his estate passed to his nephew,Lord Albert Conyngham,on condition that he take the surname Denison.

According to the records of The General Cemetery Company (incorporated by act of Parliament in 1832), Denison is buried in plot 8304 atKensal Green Cemetery.

External links

• historyofparliamentonline.org,Denison, William Joseph (1770–1849), of Denbies, nr. Dorking, Surr.

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Stephen, Leslie,ed. (1888). "Denison, William Joseph".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 14. London: Smith, Elder & Co.