Henry Boase
Henry Boase | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Madron, Cornwall, England |
| Died | April 8, 1827 (aged 63) Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall, England |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, author |
| Known for | Banking career; writings on finance; involvement in philanthropic societies; mayor of Penzance; Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature |
Henry Boase (1763–1827) was a banker and author originating from Cornwall.
Life
Henry Boase was born on 3 June 1763 in Madron, Cornwall, as the fourth son of Arthur Boase. After spending time in Brittany to acquire proficiency in French, he relocated to London in 1788 to serve as a corresponding clerk at the banking firm Messrs. Ransom, Morland, & Hammersley. This institution maintained broad connections across the continent and managed considerable financial resources supporting French émigré clergy and aristocracy following 1791. Boase’s command of the French language contributed to his promotion to chief clerk in 1792 and subsequently to managing partner by 1799.
While based in London, Boase engaged with notable philanthropists such as Granville Sharp and Robert Owen. He played a prominent role within the London Missionary Society and was instrumental in establishing the British and Foreign Bible Society. Collaborating with Reverend Thomas Charles, he oversaw charitable funds directed toward Welsh clergy. Additionally, he endorsed the educational initiatives introduced by Joseph Lancaster.
Owing to declining health, Boase withdrew from banking activities in 1809 and returned to Penzance. There, he became a partner in the Penzance Union Bank, held the office of mayor in 1816, co-established the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, advocated for the Penzance Public Library, and provided testimony opposing salt duties before Sir Thomas Bernard. In 1821, he was honored with election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
In 1794, Boase married Anne Craige; among their children was Henry Samuel Boase, who pursued geology. Henry Boase passed away at Alverton, Penzance, on 8 April 1827.
Works
Boase authored several publications addressing financial matters and monetary policy:
- Remarks on the Impolicy of repealing the Bank Restriction Bill (1802)
- Guineas, an unnecessary and expensive Incumbrance on Commerce (1802; second edition 1803)
- A Letter to the Right Hon. Lord King in Defence of the Conduct of the Directors of the Banks of England and Ireland (1804)
- The Disadvantage of the new Plan of Finance (1807)
- Remarks on the new Doctrine concerning the supposed Depreciation of our Currency (1811)
References
- Attribution
Sources
- G. C. Boase, ‘Boase, Henry (1763–1827)’, rev. Robert Brown, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 15 Nov 2007