Isaac Spooner
English ironmaster & banker (1735-1816)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Life
Spooner was born to Abraham Spooner and Anne Knight, he went into the family iron business based around a furnace at Aston, in the Birmingham area. In 1791 he founded a bank with Matthias Attwood the elder, known then as the Birmingham Bank, which became the largest private bank in Birmingham with a clientele mostly consisting of farmers and manufacturers. In 1801, Birmingham Bank opened a London branch called Spooner, Attwood & Holman.[1][3][4] The bank Attwood, Spooner & Co. failed in 1865.[5]
Spooner's views were evangelical and abolitionist.[6] He owned an estate of over 2000 acres at Elmdon, West Midlands, where he completed Elmdon Hall, a development begun by his father Abraham in 1795, and which stood until its demolition in 1956. Elmdon Park remains in its place.[7]
Family
Spooner married Barbara Gough, daughter of Sir Henry Gough, 1st Baronet, sister of Henry Gough-Calthorpe, 1st Baron Calthorpe and granddaughter of the MP Reynolds Calthorpe.[8] They had children including:
- Abraham, who married the daughter of Luke Lillingston (great-nephew and heir of General Luke Lillingston) of Ferriby Grange, and took the name Abraham Spooner Lillingston.[9]
- Isaac, who married Miss Tyler of Redland in 1807.[10][11]
- Barbara Ann, who married William Wilberforce.[8]
- Anne, who married Edward Vansittart, son of George Vansittart and Vicar of Taplow, as his second wife, and was mother of Edward Vansittart Neale.[12][13][14]
- Henry, who attended Rugby School.[15]
- William, who became Archdeacon of Coventry.[6][16][17]
- Richard, who was a member of parliament. He married Charlotte, daughter of Nathan Wetherell.[1]
- John, who was a clergyman.[18]
There were nine in all, with the unmarried Eliza;[19] or ten.[4] Richard is said to be the ninth child in an 1885 Life of Thomas Attwood.[20]