Joseph Neeld
Encyclopedia
Joseph Neeld was Member of Parliament
of the United Kingdom
for the rotten borough
of Gatton
, Surrey
in 1830 and for Chippenham
, Wiltshire
, England from 1830 to 1856.
.
He seems to have qualified as a Barrister
of the Inner Temple
but it is known that he set out on a career in property management
; in 1821 he took a lease on land in Paddington
owned by Westminster Abbey
.
In 1828, he inherited a substantial amount from his great-uncle, the silversmith
Philip Rundell, as reward for giving up a "lucrative profession" to take care of him for thirteen years. With this bequest, Neeld bought the Manor of Grittleton
, about seven miles to the north of Chippenham
. He spent from March 8 to July 30, 1830 as Member of Parliament
for Gatton
, a rotten borough
with six houses and one elector, but returning two Members which was abolished by the Reform Act of 1832. He married Lady Caroline Ashley Cooper, daughter of the 6th Earl of Shaftesbury
on 1 January 1831; however, the marriage did not last for long. This led to a series of legal disputes which ended with Lady Caroline failing to achieve a divorce, but being granted a legal separation. It had been revealed that Neeld already had a daughter by a French woman, and accordingly at his death Neeld had no legitimate heirs.
However, Neeld began the construction of Grittleton Manor in Victorian Gothic revival
style, and set about furnishing it with an extensive collection of antiques and paintings. He was also a philanthropist
, donating about £12,000 for the construction of a Town Hall for Chippenham, and building houses in Grittleton
for his tenants. Another of his commissions was for the building of St Margaret of Antioch Church
in Leigh Delamere.
His Parliamentary career was less successful; despite being a Member of Parliament for nearly 24 years, he spoke not once in the House of Commons.
in Chippenham, and leaving no legitimate heirs; he willed
his property to his brother John. His name is commemorated in the Neeld Hall in Chippenham
, as well as a row of cottages in Hendon
which was built in 1870.
In Grittleton itself, his name lives on in the name of the village pub, "The Neeld Arms", and in the east window of the church of St Mary the Virgin, accompanied by a plaque
stating the window to have been "erected and dedicated by his (18) Friends and Tenants (71)".
Grittleton Manor itself was bought in 1973 and is now Grittleton House School
. Neeld's collection of art was split up, some pieces now being in the National Portrait Gallery and some in the Victoria and Albert Museum
.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for the rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
of Gatton
Gatton (UK Parliament constituency)
Gatton was a parliamentary borough in Surrey, one of the most notorious of all the rotten boroughs. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1450 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in 1830 and for Chippenham
Chippenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England from 1830 to 1856.
Career
Neeld was one of five brothers born to Joseph Neeld (1754–1828), a solicitor and Mary (née Bond) (1765–1857); the family lived in HendonHendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
.
He seems to have qualified as a Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
but it is known that he set out on a career in property management
Property management
Property management is the operation, control of ususally on behalf of an owner, and oversight of commercial, industrial or residential real estate as used in its most broad terms. Management indicates a need to be cared for, monitored and accountability given for its usable life and condition...
; in 1821 he took a lease on land in Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
owned by Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.
In 1828, he inherited a substantial amount from his great-uncle, the silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
Philip Rundell, as reward for giving up a "lucrative profession" to take care of him for thirteen years. With this bequest, Neeld bought the Manor of Grittleton
Grittleton
Grittleton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, 7 miles NW of Chippenham, Wiltshire at .The Grittleton House estate is the home of Grittleton House School, which was founded in 1951....
, about seven miles to the north of Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
. He spent from March 8 to July 30, 1830 as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Gatton
Gatton (UK Parliament constituency)
Gatton was a parliamentary borough in Surrey, one of the most notorious of all the rotten boroughs. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1450 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act...
, a rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
with six houses and one elector, but returning two Members which was abolished by the Reform Act of 1832. He married Lady Caroline Ashley Cooper, daughter of the 6th Earl of Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II...
on 1 January 1831; however, the marriage did not last for long. This led to a series of legal disputes which ended with Lady Caroline failing to achieve a divorce, but being granted a legal separation. It had been revealed that Neeld already had a daughter by a French woman, and accordingly at his death Neeld had no legitimate heirs.
However, Neeld began the construction of Grittleton Manor in Victorian Gothic revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style, and set about furnishing it with an extensive collection of antiques and paintings. He was also a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, donating about £12,000 for the construction of a Town Hall for Chippenham, and building houses in Grittleton
Grittleton
Grittleton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, 7 miles NW of Chippenham, Wiltshire at .The Grittleton House estate is the home of Grittleton House School, which was founded in 1951....
for his tenants. Another of his commissions was for the building of St Margaret of Antioch Church
St Margaret of Antioch Church, Leigh Delamere
St Margaret of Antioch Church in Leigh Delamere, Wiltshire, England was built, on the site of a previous 12th century church, in 1846 and dedicated to Margaret the Virgin. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is now a redundant church in the care of...
in Leigh Delamere.
His Parliamentary career was less successful; despite being a Member of Parliament for nearly 24 years, he spoke not once in the House of Commons.
Legacy
Neeld died on March 24, 1856, causing a by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Chippenham, and leaving no legitimate heirs; he willed
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
his property to his brother John. His name is commemorated in the Neeld Hall in Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
, as well as a row of cottages in Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
which was built in 1870.
In Grittleton itself, his name lives on in the name of the village pub, "The Neeld Arms", and in the east window of the church of St Mary the Virgin, accompanied by a plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
stating the window to have been "erected and dedicated by his (18) Friends and Tenants (71)".
Grittleton Manor itself was bought in 1973 and is now Grittleton House School
Grittleton House School
Grittleton House School is a small, family-run independent school and children's daycare provider situated in the village of Grittleton near Chippenham in Wiltshire. The school is co-educational with around 300 pupils and toddlers aged 2-16....
. Neeld's collection of art was split up, some pieces now being in the National Portrait Gallery and some in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
.