William Currie (British politician)
Encyclopedia
William Currie, was a land owner, distiller, banker and Member of Parliament
for Gatton
and Winchelsea
.
On his father's death in 1781, he inherited his father's 75% interest in the distilling partnership his father had started with Nathaniel Byles. He also became a partner in the family banking firm, replacing his father, but seems to have taken no active part, leaving the responsibilities to his brother Isaac.
He is chiefly remembered for the restoration of the village of East Horsley and its manor house, East Horsley Towers.
), and was baptised at the Church of St. Dunstan's
in Stepney
on 4 March 1756.
He married Percy Gore on June 23, 1794, the daughter of a banking partner, by whom he had a daughter, Percy Gore Currie, and two sons, William and Henry. Percy Gore Currie married the Right Reverend Horatio Powys, son of Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford. The eldest son, William, was a great connoisseur and collector of works of art, and had excellent taste. He left his major collection of gems, camei, intagli, Etruscan scarabei and Etruscan gold ornaments to the Uffizi
Gallery in Florence. The second son, Henry, went on to be MP for Guildford
between 1847 and 1852.
Three of his nephews were Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet
, Vice Admiral Mark John Currie
and Raikes Currie
., Member of Parliament for Northampton
to build a second manor house in the Elizabethan style on the site. In 1792, an Inclosure Act enabled him to inclose most of Horsley Common at the northern end of the parish and the common fields and waste at the southern part. He created an open park, grubbing up hedges, but leaving trees standing and planting others. He restored the church of St Martin, established a school and improved or rebuilt most of the houses in the village. "He fortunately had opportunities of purchasing nearly all tbe other land in tbe parish; and happily for himself, his family, and all the inhabitants of the parish, he had tbe means! with which to make those purchases. We say happily for the inhabitants of tbe parish, for a more benevolent man, and family, never blessed a village or neighbourhood."
Subsequent owners of the East Horsley estate were the 1st Earl of Lovelace
, whose wife was Ada Lovelace
, the computer pioneer and Lord Byron's daughter, and Sir Thomas Sopwith
, the founder of the Sopwith Aviation Company
, which featured predominantly in the First World War. After that war, the estate was broken up and sold in lots.
. He continued there until the 1796 election, when he was returned for Winchelsea
until 1802.
Gatton and Winchelsea were rotten boroughs and Gatton was an extreme example. It returned two MPs to the House of Commons, but only two constituents were entitled to vote, one of whom was William's brother, Mark Currie, the owner of Upper Gatton Park. Winchelsea also returned two MPs to Westminster
, but had seven voters.
In Parliament, Currie made no known speech. He was in favour of the unsuccessful attempt to repeal the Test Act in Scotland in 1791 and voted with the opposition in the Oczakov debates of 12 April 1791 and 12 March 1792, but appears to have become a supporter of the administration afterwards.
He voted for Pitt's assessed taxes 4 Jan 1798, but made no further mark in the House, although on 9 December 1801 he was appointed to the Committee on East India judicature.
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...
and Winchelsea
Winchelsea (UK Parliament constituency)
Winchelsea was a parliamentary constituency in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1366 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-Boundaries:...
.
On his father's death in 1781, he inherited his father's 75% interest in the distilling partnership his father had started with Nathaniel Byles. He also became a partner in the family banking firm, replacing his father, but seems to have taken no active part, leaving the responsibilities to his brother Isaac.
He is chiefly remembered for the restoration of the village of East Horsley and its manor house, East Horsley Towers.
Family
He was the eldest son of William Currie (1721–1781) and Magdalen Lefevre (a great aunt of Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount EversleyCharles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley
Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley GCB, PC , was a British Whig politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1839 to 1857...
), and was baptised at the Church of St. Dunstan's
St Dunstan's, Stepney
St Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican Church which stands on a site which has been used for Christian worship for over a thousand years. It is located in Stepney High Street, in Stepney, London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-History:...
in Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
on 4 March 1756.
He married Percy Gore on June 23, 1794, the daughter of a banking partner, by whom he had a daughter, Percy Gore Currie, and two sons, William and Henry. Percy Gore Currie married the Right Reverend Horatio Powys, son of Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford. The eldest son, William, was a great connoisseur and collector of works of art, and had excellent taste. He left his major collection of gems, camei, intagli, Etruscan scarabei and Etruscan gold ornaments to the Uffizi
Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery , is a museum in Florence, Italy. It is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world.-History:...
Gallery in Florence. The second son, Henry, went on to be MP for Guildford
Guildford (UK Parliament constituency)
Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
between 1847 and 1852.
Three of his nephews were Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet was an English diplomat.He was educated at Charterhouse and had a distinguished career in the British East India Company and the Indian Civil Service...
, Vice Admiral Mark John Currie
Mark John Currie
Captain Mark John Currie RN played a significant role in the exploration of Australia and the foundation of the Swan River Colony, later named 'Western Australia'....
and Raikes Currie
Raikes Currie
Raikes Currie was Member of Parliament for Northampton from 1837 to 1857. He was a partner of the bank Curries & Co, Cornhill, City of London, and had several interests in the newly developing colony of South Australia...
., Member of Parliament for Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
East Horsley
He bought a substantial property, Horsley Towers, at East Horsley, in 1784 and commissioned Sir Charles BarryCharles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
to build a second manor house in the Elizabethan style on the site. In 1792, an Inclosure Act enabled him to inclose most of Horsley Common at the northern end of the parish and the common fields and waste at the southern part. He created an open park, grubbing up hedges, but leaving trees standing and planting others. He restored the church of St Martin, established a school and improved or rebuilt most of the houses in the village. "He fortunately had opportunities of purchasing nearly all tbe other land in tbe parish; and happily for himself, his family, and all the inhabitants of the parish, he had tbe means! with which to make those purchases. We say happily for the inhabitants of tbe parish, for a more benevolent man, and family, never blessed a village or neighbourhood."
Subsequent owners of the East Horsley estate were the 1st Earl of Lovelace
William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace
William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace FRS , known as the Hon. William King until 1833 and as the Lord King from 1833 to 1838, was an English nobleman and scientist....
, whose wife was Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
, the computer pioneer and Lord Byron's daughter, and Sir Thomas Sopwith
Thomas Sopwith
Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS was an English aviation pioneer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
, the founder of the Sopwith Aviation Company
Sopwith Aviation Company
The Sopwith Aviation Company was a British aircraft company that designed and manufactured aeroplanes mainly for the British Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps and later Royal Air Force in the First World War, most famously the Sopwith Camel...
, which featured predominantly in the First World War. After that war, the estate was broken up and sold in lots.
Member of Parliament
He was returned in 1790 as Member of Parliament for GattonGatton (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...
. He continued there until the 1796 election, when he was returned for Winchelsea
Winchelsea (UK Parliament constituency)
Winchelsea was a parliamentary constituency in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1366 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-Boundaries:...
until 1802.
Gatton and Winchelsea were rotten boroughs and Gatton was an extreme example. It returned two MPs to the House of Commons, but only two constituents were entitled to vote, one of whom was William's brother, Mark Currie, the owner of Upper Gatton Park. Winchelsea also returned two MPs to Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, but had seven voters.
In Parliament, Currie made no known speech. He was in favour of the unsuccessful attempt to repeal the Test Act in Scotland in 1791 and voted with the opposition in the Oczakov debates of 12 April 1791 and 12 March 1792, but appears to have become a supporter of the administration afterwards.
He voted for Pitt's assessed taxes 4 Jan 1798, but made no further mark in the House, although on 9 December 1801 he was appointed to the Committee on East India judicature.