Edward George Barnard Explained

Edward George Barnard (1778 – 14 June 1851) was a British shipbuilder and Liberal Party politician.^[1]

He was the son of William and Frances Barnard and baptised on 18 May 1778.^[2] He was a member of the Barnard family of shipbuilders who had established themselves at Deptford on the River Thames.^[3] He became very wealthy, and in 1824 he purchased Gosfield Hall and estate in Essex from the Marquess of Buckingham for 150,000 guineas.^{[4] [5]}

He was elected at the 1832 general election as one of the two Members of Parliament (MPs) for the newly enfranchised borough of Greenwich.^{[6] [7]} He was regarded as an "ultra-radical" who was in favour of the abolition of slavery, triennial parliaments, an ending of "taxes on knowledge" and the secret ballot. He held the seat until his death at his family seat in 1851, aged 73.^[6] He was buried in the family vault in Gosfield Parish Church on 21 June.^[8]

Notes and References

1. News: Deaths. The Standard. 17 June 1851.
2. England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970
3. Book: Barnard, John E. Building Britain's Wooden Walls: Barnard Dynasty c.1697-1851. 1997. Anthony Nelson. Oswestry. 0904614638.
4. News: Multiple News Items. Morning Post. 17 May 1824.
5. Web site: Gosfield Hall, Essex. The Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos. 14 July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20090502221414/http://www.dukesofbuckingham.org.uk/places/gosfield/gosfield.htm. 2 May 2009. dead.
6. Book: The Gentleman's Magazine - Volume 36. 1851. John Bowyers, Nichol & Company. London. 543. Sylvanus Urban.
7. Book: Craig , F. W. S. . F. W. S. Craig

   . F. W. S. Craig . British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 . 1977 . 2nd . 1989 . Parliamentary Research Services . Chichester . 0-900178-26-4 . 9.

8. News: The funeral of E. G. Barnard, Esq., M.P. The Bury & Norwich Post. 25 June 1851.