Sir Charles Duncombe
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Duncombe was an English banker and politician who served as a Member of Parliament
and Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Duncombe was apprenticed to the London goldsmith Edward Backwell
and became in due course
a member of the Goldsmiths' Company. Under both Charles II
and James II
he was Receiver of the Customs, and made a fortune in banking; later in life he was said to be worth £400,000, and died the richest commoner in England. When James II fled the country in 1688, Duncombe refused him a loan of £1500 to aid his escape.
He was elected to Parliament in 1685, and represented Hedon
, Yarmouth (Isle of Wight)
and Downton
, supporting the Tories. During this period he opposed the establishment of the Bank of England
.
In 1698, Duncombe was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London
, and subsequently expelled from the House of Commons, for "contriving and advising the making of false Indorsements of several Bills, made forth at the Receipt of Exchequer, commonly called Exchequer-Bills", in other words a tax fraud. However, when tried he was acquitted through a mistake in the information, and he was knighted on 20 October 1699. He was later also re-elected to the Commons for his old constituency.
He also served as alderman
for Broad Street ward in the City of London
from 1683 to 1686 (from which he was discharged by Royal Commission) and for Bridge Within ward from 1700 until his death. He was Sheriff of the City in 1700, and Lord Mayor in 1708.
His brother, Anthony Duncombe, who was also MP for Hedon, died before him. His nephew and heir, also called Anthony, was later ennobled as Lord Feversham
.
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,...
and Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Duncombe was apprenticed to the London goldsmith Edward Backwell
Edward Backwell
Edward Backwell was an English goldsmith, financier, and politician. He has been called "the principal founder of the banking system in England", and "far and away the best documented banker of his time".-Life:...
and became in due course
a member of the Goldsmiths' Company. Under both Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
he was Receiver of the Customs, and made a fortune in banking; later in life he was said to be worth £400,000, and died the richest commoner in England. When James II fled the country in 1688, Duncombe refused him a loan of £1500 to aid his escape.
He was elected to Parliament in 1685, and represented Hedon
Hedon (UK Parliament constituency)
Hedon, sometimes spelt Heydon, was a parliamentary borough in the East Riding of Yorkshire, represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1547 to 1832.-History:...
, Yarmouth (Isle of Wight)
Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) (UK Parliament constituency)
Yarmouth was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of England then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
and Downton
Downton (UK Parliament constituency)
Downton was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
, supporting the Tories. During this period he opposed the establishment of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
.
In 1698, Duncombe was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, and subsequently expelled from the House of Commons, for "contriving and advising the making of false Indorsements of several Bills, made forth at the Receipt of Exchequer, commonly called Exchequer-Bills", in other words a tax fraud. However, when tried he was acquitted through a mistake in the information, and he was knighted on 20 October 1699. He was later also re-elected to the Commons for his old constituency.
He also served as alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
for Broad Street ward in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
from 1683 to 1686 (from which he was discharged by Royal Commission) and for Bridge Within ward from 1700 until his death. He was Sheriff of the City in 1700, and Lord Mayor in 1708.
His brother, Anthony Duncombe, who was also MP for Hedon, died before him. His nephew and heir, also called Anthony, was later ennobled as Lord Feversham
Baron Feversham
Baron Feversham is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation, in the Peerage of Great Britain, came in 1747 in favour of Anthony Duncombe, who had earlier represented Salisbury and Downton in the House...
.