Sir Gabriel Goldney, 1st Baronet (25 July 1813 – 8 May 1900)[1] was aConservative politician who sat in theHouse of Commons from 1865 to 1885. He was created abaronet in May 1880.
TheGoldney family, fromBristol, became clothiers inChippenham in the sixteenth century and were long afterwards associated with Wiltshire, and particularly the town.[2] An ancestor, Henry Goldney, had also been a member of parliament for Chippenham and was in 1553 appointed the first "Bayliff" of Chippenham.[3] A 17th-century ancestor, also named Gabriel, left bequests in hiswill to provide "greatcoats for six poor inhabitants".[3]
Goldney was born on 25 July and baptised at Chippenham on 3 December 1813.[4] His father was Harry Goldney (1774–1852) and his mother Elizabeth (née Reade, c. 1789–1863).[5] He was educated atChrist's Hospital (of which he later became agovernor) from 1820 to 1828.[6]
Goldney married Mary Anne Alexander inCorsham on 16 September 1839,[4] and they had four children: Mary Catherine Goldney (14 October 1841 – 4 August 1854),Gabriel Prior Goldney (b. 4 August 1843),Frederick Hastings Goldney (b. 26 May 1845), andJohn Tankerville Goldney (b. 15 June 1846).[7]
Goldney became a landowner, financier and banker. In 1854 he boughtSheldon Manor[8] and in 1856, land inHilmarton.[9] His investments extended outsideWiltshire toCamberley in Surrey, as in 1860 he advanced money to develop asilk farm at Heatherside; however, the venture failed, Goldneyforeclosed on his investment and took possession of the land, part of which later became Prior Park, Camberley, the residence of his two elder sons.[10]
In 1863 he bought land atBradenstoke Abbey fromFrederick Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen,[11] and the following year, boughtStanley Abbey fromJohn Bayntun Starkey.[12] By 1888 he also owned land at Monks Park,Corsham, which he leased forquarrying.[13]
He was first elected to parliament as Conservative Member of Parliament forChippenham, Wiltshire, England on 11 July 1865 and made hismaiden speech on 20 April 1866.[14] By this time, he was a Director of the North Wilts Bank.[15] In this capacity, he was persuaded by railway engineerRoland Brotherhood to relax the bank's conditions on hisoverdraft in return for help in getting Goldney re-elected in the forthcoming election; Goldney, having been re-elected, then advised the bank that the conditions could be relaxed. However, shortly after this, in 1869, the bank changed its mind, and Brotherhood's enterprise failed;[15] Brotherhood blamed Goldney for this.[16] Goldney was appointed aDeputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire on 22 February 1869.[17][18]
The position of Bailiff of Chippenham passed down to Goldney; he was also aFreemason, holding the office ofGrand Warden of England.[3] He was created Baronet Goldney of Beechfield in the parish of Corsham, andBradenstoke Abbey in the parish ofLyneham on 30 April 1880.[19]
He died at Eaton Place,Belgravia, London on 8 May 1900,[20] and the baronetcy passed to his first son,Gabriel Prior Goldney.
Goldney is commemorated in stained-glass windows of Chippenham parish church,[21] TheFoundling Hospital, London[22] and in the name of Goldney Avenue, Chippenham.[23]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Chippenham 1865–1885 With:Sir John Neeld 1865–1868 (representation reduced to one member 1868) | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Beechfield and Bradenstoke Abbey) 1880–1900 | Succeeded by |