Sir Hugh Myddelton, Bt | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Sir Hugh byCornelius Johnson | |
| Member of Parliament forDenbigh Boroughs | |
| In office 1604–1629 | |
| Preceded by | John Panton |
| Succeeded by | Parliament suspended until 1640 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1560 |
| Died | 10 December 1631(1631-12-10) (aged 71) London, England |
| Spouses | |
| Relations | Thomas Myddelton (brother) Robert Myddelton (brother) |
| Children | 16 |
| Parent(s) | Richard Myddelton Jane Dryhurst |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | New River |
Sir Hugh Myddelton (orMiddleton), 1st Baronet (1560 – 10 December 1631)[a] was a Welsh clothmaker, entrepreneur, mine-owner,goldsmith, banker and self-taught engineer. The spelling of his name is inconsistently reproduced, butMyddelton appears to be the earliest, and most consistently used in place names associated with him.
Myddelton was born in 1560 atGalch Hill,Denbighshire,Wales. He as the sixth son ofRichard Myddelton, governor ofDenbigh Castle inWales and MP forDenbigh Boroughs and Jane Dryhurst, daughter of Hugh Dryhurst and Lucy (née Grimsditch) Dryhurst. Among his brothers were SirThomas Myddelton,Lord Mayor of London, William Middelton, poet and seaman, andRobert Myddelton, also an MP.[2]
He travelled to seek his fortune inLondon and after being apprenticed to London goldsmith Thomas Hartopp, becoming so successful in that trade that he was appointed Royal Jeweller byKing James I. In the meantime, he became an alderman and then recorder of Denbigh, and in 1603 succeeded his father as MP forDenbigh Boroughs, which he remained until 1628. He also became a very wealthy merchant and clothmaker.[2]
Myddelton is best remembered as the driving force behind the construction of theNew River, an ambitious engineering project to bring clean water into London. After the initial project, started byEdmund Colthurst, encountered financial difficulties, Myddelton helped fund the project through to completion, obtaining the assistance ofKing James I. The New River was constructed between 1608 and 1613 (being officially opened on 29 September that year), and was originally some 42 miles (68 km) long. It was not initially a financial success, and cost Myddelton substantial sums, although in 1612 he was successful in securing monetary assistance from King James I.
In 1619, theNew River Company was incorporated by royal charter, one of the firstjoint-stock utility companies, with Myddelton as governor. The company would continue to be a powerful and extremely profitable force in London's water supply for nearly 300 years.
In 1617, Myddelton obtained large profits from lead and silvermines at Bronfloydd,Cwmerfyn andCwmsymlog inCardiganshire, Wales. Working those mines involved buildingaqueducts to serve thestamp mills needed to crush theore. Following engineering works atBrading on theIsle of Wight, he was created abaronet on 22 October 1622.[2]
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Myddelton was twice married. His first wife was Anne (née Collins) Edwards, whom he married shortly before 5 November 1585. Anne, a widow of Richard Edwards of London, was a daughter of Collins ofLichfield, Staffordshire. After Anne's death in 1597, he married Elizabeth Olmstead, daughter and heiress of John Olmstead ofIngatestone, Essex, in 1598. Myddelton's second marriage was presumably arranged by his brother,Sir Thomas, the bride's stepfather. Between his two wives, he had ten sons and six daughters, includingWilliam Middleton (1603–c. 1652), who served as MP for Denbigh from 1630 and 1647.[2]
He died in December 1631 at Bush Hill,London, and was buried in the church ofSt. Matthew Friday Street.[4] He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his sonWilliam. His widow died on 19 July 1643.[2]
There is astatue of Myddelton onIslington Green. Myddleton is also depicted in a statue situated in a niche of the northeastern step-building of theHolborn Viaduct. On an island in the New River atGreat Amwell a stone memorial is dedicated to Myddelton. A blue plaque marks the site of his former residence at the end of Cunard Crescent inEnfield.
InClerkenwell, not far from the original southern end of the New River,Myddelton Square takes its name from him, as do Myddelton Passage and Myddleton Street. Institutions nearby (some closed) that are named after him include Hugh Myddelton Primary School in Myddelton Street; the Myddelton Wing of the LSE Rosebery Hall of Residence, also on Myddelton Street; Hugh Myddelton Secondary school (which closed in the mid 1960s in Sans Walk, Islington); and Myddelton House on Pentonville Road, central office ofCitizens Advice.
Bounded by the former course along the valley ofTurkey Brook, Myddelton House atBulls Cross, Enfield (now the headquarters of theLee Valley Regional Park Authority) was also named in his honour; it was built by Henry Carrington Bowles (formerly a print and map maker of St Paul's Churchyard) whose wife, Anne Garnault, was a member of aHuguenot family with a controlling interest in the New River Company. There is also a Myddleton Arms onNew North Road inCanonbury, curiously with that spelling.
Myddelton Avenue in Finsbury Park, parallel to Brownswood Road and the site of one of the New River Reservoirs, also is named for him. At the northern end of the New River, Myddleton Road inWare is situated close to the source of the river. Myddelton Road inBowes Park crosses the New River at a point where it goes underground between there and theHornsey water treatment works, where there is another Myddelton Road off Hornsey High Street.[5]
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forDenbigh Boroughs 1604–1629 | Parliament suspended until 1640 |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| New title | Baronet (of Ruthin) 1622–1631 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
