Isaac Spooner Explained

Isaac Spooner (c.1735–1816) was an English ironmaster and banker who founded Birmingham Bank.^{[1] [2]}

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]
• 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.^{[11] [12] [13]}
• Henry, who attended Rugby School.^[14]
• William, who became Archdeacon of Coventry.^{[6] [15] [16]}
• Richard, who was a member of parliament. He married Charlotte, daughter of Nathan Wetherell.^[1]
• John, who was a clergyman.

There were nine in all, with the unmarried Eliza;^[17] or ten.^[4] Richard is said to be the ninth child in an 1885 Life of Thomas Attwood.^[18]

External links

• landedfamilies.blogspot.co.uk, Alston of Elmdon Hall

Notes and References

1. Web site: Spooner, Richard (1783–1864), of Glindon House, Warws., History of Parliament Online. 17 June 2015.
2. Book: The New Monthly Magazine. 1816. s.n.. 569.
3. 'Parishes: Elmdon', in A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 4, Hemlingford Hundred, ed. L F Salzman (London, 1947), pp. 67–69 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol4/pp67-69 [accessed 17 June 2015].
4. Book: John Pollock. Wilberforce. 20 December 2013. David C. Cook. 978-0-7814-1109-7. 137.
5. Book: The Annual Register. 1866. Rivingtons. 28.
6. Book: David Newsome. The Parting of Friends: The Wilberforces and Henry Manning. 1966. Gracewing Publishing. 978-0-8028-3714-1. 26.
7. Book: Edmund Richardson. Classical Victorians: Scholars, Scoundrels and Generals in Pursuit of Antiquity. 7 February 2013. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-139-62010-9. 197.
8. 29386. Wilberforce, William. John. Wolffe.
9. Book: The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the Year. 1807. J. Dodsley. 60.
10. Book: John Aikin. The Athenaeum: A Magazine of Literary and Miscellaneous Information. 1807. Longmans, Hurst, Rees, and Orme. 306.
11. 19820. Neale, Edward Vansittart. Matthew. Lee.
12. Book: The Monthly Magazine. 1809. R. Phillips. 311.
13. Neale, Edward Vansittart. 40.
14. Book: Rugby School Register. From 1675 to 1867 inclusive. With alphabetical index. Edited by F. Temple, Bishop of Exeter.. 1867. 39.
15. Book: Rugby School. Rugby School Register: From 1675 to 1867 Inclusive. 1867. Billington. 42.
16. Book: Sylvanus Urban (pseud. van Edward Cave.). Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. 1857. Edward Cave. 465.
17. Book: John Burke. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank: But Uninvested with Heritable Honours. 1836. Colburn. 185.
18. Web site: Life of Thomas Attwood. Wakefield. C. M.. 1885. Internet Archive. Harrison. 15. 17 June 2015. London.