Sir John Lubbock, 3rd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir John William Lubbock, 3rd Baronet (26 March 1803 – 21 June 1865) was an English
banker, barrister
, mathematician
and astronomer
.
He was born in Westminster, the son of Sir John William Lubbock, of the Lubbock & Co bank. He was educated at Eton
and then Trinity College, Cambridge
, graduating in 1825. In the same year he became a partner in his father's bank.
In 1828 he became a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
, in 1829 he became a fellow of the Royal Society
, and has been described as "foremost among English mathematicians in adopting Laplace's
doctrine of probability." He joined the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
in 1829, and was twice Treasurer (1830–35, 1838–45) and three times Vice-President (1830–35, 1836–37, 1838–46) of the Royal Society. For his studies of tides he was awarded the Royal Medal in 1834.
Lubbock was the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
(1837–42), a position later held by his eldest son, Sir John Lubbock, 4th Bt
, who was later created Baron Avebury
in 1900.
Lubbock became head of Lubbock & Co, retired mostly in 1840, but oversaw the merger that created Roberts, Lubbock & Co in 1860.
He largely rebuilt the family home of High Elms
, near Downe
village in Kent
. His property was on the other side of the village to the land belonging to Down House
, and when Charles Darwin
and Emma Darwin
were house-hunting in 1842, Darwin told his sister all about Down House, noting that Lubbock was the owner of 3000 acres (12.1 km²) and was building a grand house nearby. Darwin said "I believe he is very reserved & shy & proud or fine—so I suspect he will be no catch, & will never honour us". When word reached Sir John William Lubbock, he went home and hinted at a great piece of news without immediately disclosing what it was. His son John wondered whether the news might be the announcement of a pony of his own, and was disappointed at first to learn that it was merely the news that Charles Darwin would soon be living at Down House. The families were on friendly terms, and young John Lubbock frequently visited Down House, becoming a close friend of Darwin's. In 1846 Lubbock rented land near Down House to Darwin, who had it planted as woodland and laid out with the Sandwalk which became Darwin's daily walk.
His youngest child, Edgar
won the FA Cup
with Wanderers
in 1872 and with Old Etonians
in 1879
. He was also a cricketer with Kent County Cricket Club
.
Another son, Alfred played for Old Etonians
in the 1875 FA Cup Final and was a Kent county cricketer, as was another son, Nevile.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
banker, 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...
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
He was born in Westminster, the son of Sir John William Lubbock, of the Lubbock & Co bank. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and then Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, graduating in 1825. In the same year he became a partner in his father's bank.
In 1828 he became a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
, in 1829 he became a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, and has been described as "foremost among English mathematicians in adopting Laplace's
Pierre-Simon Laplace
Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace was a French mathematician and astronomer whose work was pivotal to the development of mathematical astronomy and statistics. He summarized and extended the work of his predecessors in his five volume Mécanique Céleste...
doctrine of probability." He joined the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge , founded in 1826, and wound up in 1848, was a Whiggish London organisation that published inexpensive texts intended to adapt scientific and similarly high-minded material for the rapidly expanding reading public...
in 1829, and was twice Treasurer (1830–35, 1838–45) and three times Vice-President (1830–35, 1836–37, 1838–46) of the Royal Society. For his studies of tides he was awarded the Royal Medal in 1834.
Lubbock was the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(1837–42), a position later held by his eldest son, Sir John Lubbock, 4th Bt
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury PC , FRS , known as Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet from 1865 until 1900, was a polymath and Liberal Member of Parliament....
, who was later created Baron Avebury
Baron Avebury
Baron Avebury, of Avebury in the County of Wiltshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1900 for the banker, politician and archaeologist Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baron. On his death the titles passed to his...
in 1900.
Lubbock became head of Lubbock & Co, retired mostly in 1840, but oversaw the merger that created Roberts, Lubbock & Co in 1860.
He largely rebuilt the family home of High Elms
High Elms Country Park
High Elms Country Park is an extensive public park on the North Downs in Farnborough in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a Local Nature Reserve, and together with the neighbouring Downe Bank, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The park surrounds High Elms Golf Course, and has extensive...
, near Downe
Downe
Downe is a village in the London Borough of Bromley in London, UK.Downe is south west of Orpington and south east of Charing Cross. Downe lies in a wooded valley, and much of the centre of the village is unchanged; the former village school now acts as the village hall.-Darwin:Charles Darwin...
village in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. His property was on the other side of the village to the land belonging to Down House
Down House
Down House is the former home of the English naturalist Charles Darwin and his family. It was in this house and garden that Darwin worked on his theories of evolution by natural selection which he had conceived in London before moving to Downe....
, and when Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
and Emma Darwin
Emma Darwin
Emma Darwin was the wife and first cousin of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist, scientist and author of On the Origin of Species...
were house-hunting in 1842, Darwin told his sister all about Down House, noting that Lubbock was the owner of 3000 acres (12.1 km²) and was building a grand house nearby. Darwin said "I believe he is very reserved & shy & proud or fine—so I suspect he will be no catch, & will never honour us". When word reached Sir John William Lubbock, he went home and hinted at a great piece of news without immediately disclosing what it was. His son John wondered whether the news might be the announcement of a pony of his own, and was disappointed at first to learn that it was merely the news that Charles Darwin would soon be living at Down House. The families were on friendly terms, and young John Lubbock frequently visited Down House, becoming a close friend of Darwin's. In 1846 Lubbock rented land near Down House to Darwin, who had it planted as woodland and laid out with the Sandwalk which became Darwin's daily walk.
Family
He married Harriet Hotham in 1833, and they had eleven children.His youngest child, Edgar
Edgar Lubbock
Edgar Lubbock LLB was an English amateur footballer who twice won the FA Cup, and later became a partner in the Whitbread Brewery, a Director of the Bank of England and the Master of the Blankney Foxhounds....
won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
with Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
in 1872 and with Old Etonians
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
in 1879
1879 FA Cup Final
The 1879 FA Cup Final was contested by Old Etonians and Clapham Rovers at the Kennington Oval. Old Etonians won 1-0, the only goal scored by Charles Clerke.-The Final:...
. He was also a cricketer with Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
.
Another son, Alfred played for Old Etonians
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
in the 1875 FA Cup Final and was a Kent county cricketer, as was another son, Nevile.