Henry Hoare
Henry Hoare II | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1705 |
| Died | 1785 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, garden designer |
| Years active | c.1725–1785 |
| Known for | Partner in Hoare's Bank, development of Stourhead gardens |
Henry Hoare II (1705–1785), often referred to as Henry the Magnificent, was a prominent English banker and a distinguished designer of gardens.
Family
Henry's grandfather, Richard Hoare, served as a goldsmith-banker and held the office of Lord Mayor of London. His father, Henry Hoare I, purchased the Stourton estate and commissioned a Palladian-style villa created by Colen Campbell. At the age of 20, Henry II came into possession of this estate and received his education at Westminster School.
Career
For nearly six decades, Henry played a leading role in the Hoare family banking enterprise, leveraging both his financial resources and personal influence as a partner in Hoare's Bank. The moniker "Henry The Magnificent" was earned through his extensive support of the arts alongside his remarkable enhancement of the gardens at Stourhead in Wiltshire, an estate acquired by his father. Over the thirty years following his mother’s passing in 1741, he meticulously developed Stourhead into a renowned example of European garden artistry, praised for surpassing any painted landscape in beauty. He also maintained professional relationships with notable figures such as the landscape architect Capability Brown. In 1734, Henry secured election as Member of Parliament for Salisbury.
Upon his death in 1785, he left Stourhead to his grandson, Richard Colt Hoare, who was the son of his daughter Ann (1734–1759). His younger daughter, Susanna, attained the title Countess of Ailesbury.
Further reading
- Hoare, Henry Peregrine Rennie, Hoare's Bank: A Record 1672-1955, 1932, revised edition 1955
- Hutchings, Victoria, Messrs Hoare, Bankers: A History of the Hoare Banking Dynasty, 2005