Charles William Bigge
Charles William Bigge | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1773-10-28 Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Died | 1849-12-08 |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, banker |
| Known for | Banking in Newcastle upon Tyne, High Sheriff of Northumberland |
Charles William Bigge (28 October 1773 – 8 December 1849) was a prominent English merchant and banker operating out of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Life
The son of Thomas Charles Bigge, he received his education at Westminster School followed by Christ Church, Oxford, where he earned an M.A. in 1795. After completing legal studies under the guidance of Charles Abbott, serving time in the militia, and traveling across the European continent beginning in 1800, he established commercial connections with hunting acquaintances including Sir Matthew White Ridley, 3rd Baronet and Ralph Lambton; Ridley eventually became his business associate.
In 1802, Bigge held the office of High Sheriff of Northumberland, a position previously occupied by both his grandfather and father. Additionally, he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel within the Northumberland Supplementary Militia.
Upon his father’s passing in 1794, Bigge inherited multiple estates and coal mining operations located at Benton House, Little Benton, Heddon on the Wall, Ponteland, Gosforth, and Willington. He entered into partnership with the Newcastle banking firm Ridley Bigge Gibson & Co in 1806, which later merged into the Northumberland and Durham District Bank in 1832. In 1812, he commissioned the construction of Linden Hall at Longhorsley, designed by Sir Charles Monck on property purchased from the Earl of Carlisle.
Politically aligned with the Whig faction and closely associated with Charles Grey, Bigge declined an offered baronetcy in 1839 and chose not to pursue a parliamentary seat due to financial considerations. From 1838 until 1851, he served as president of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Family
In 1802, Bigge married Alice Wilkinson from Newcastle; together they had nine sons and four daughters.
Among their sons were Charles John and Matthew, both of whom became bank directors; Henry Lancelot, who was employed by the East India Company; Edward Thomas, who served as Archdeacon of Lindisfarne; John Frederic, Vicar of Stamfordham whose son Arthur was later ennobled as Baron Stamfordham; Arthur, a practicing barrister; Matthew Robert, also a bank director; and George Richard, who pursued a clerical vocation.
Their daughters included Charlotte Eliza, who wed David Smith of Edinburgh; Julia Katherina, the first spouse of Henry Joseph Maltby; while others either died young or remained unmarried.
Although the Northumberland and Durham District Bank prospered during Bigge’s lifetime, it ultimately failed in 1857. The resulting financial liabilities imposed on shareholders—including Bigge’s heirs—compelled his successor Matthew to liquidate family estates in 1861 to satisfy outstanding debts.