Henry Hoare (1807–1866)
Henry Hoare | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1807 England |
| Died | 1866 Staplehurst estate, Kent, England |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, lay Church of England figure |
| Known for | Partner at Hoare's Bank; role in reactivating the Convocation of the Church of England |
Henry Hoare (1807–1866) was an English banker and a partner at Hoare's Bank. Often referred to as Henry Hoare of Staplehurst due to his estate in Kent, he was also a significant lay figure within the Church of England, playing a key role in the reactivation of the dormant Convocation.
Background and early life
As the eldest child of banker William Henry Hoare (1776–1819) and Louisa Elizabeth Noel, daughter of Sir Gerard Noel, 2nd Baronet, Henry Hoare belonged to a notable family. His brother was the clergyman William Henry Hoare (1809–1888), and their grandfather, the banker Henry Hoare of Mitcham Grove, passed away in 1828.
Following the death of their mother, Henry became guardian to their youngest sister, Mary Jane Kinnaird (1816–1888). Other siblings included Louisa Elizabeth, who wed Peter John Locke King; Gerard Noel, who pursued careers as a naval officer and brewer; and Elizabeth Lydia, who never married.
Their formative years were spent at Broomfield House, a center for the Clapham Sect near prominent reformers such as William Wilberforce and Henry Thornton. After losing their parents, care was entrusted to Miss Holloway, a governess connected to the Noel family, before relocating to their grandfather’s Mitcham Grove estate.
Education
In 1819, Hoare attended lessons with George Hodson at Stanstead Park near Racton, Sussex, alongside contemporaries including Samuel Wilberforce. When Hodson moved to Maisemore near Gloucester in 1820 with some pupils, Hoare stayed until approximately age sixteen.
He matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge in 1824 and completed his B.A. in 1828 followed by an M.A. in 1831. Influenced by preacher Hugh James Rose, he joined Hoare's Bank after graduation and took charge of managing the Mitcham Grove estate after his grandfather’s passing. In 1831, he traveled across Europe with his brother William and their tutor Barton Shuttleworth.
Staplehurst
Hoare possessed family estates in Staplehurst, a Kent village located south of Maidstone. From 1826 onward, he maintained cordial relations with Thomas Waldron Hornbuckle, the local rector. A substantial portion of his grandfather's wealth was invested in a London brewery situated in East Smithfield, overseen by his uncle, George Matthew Hoare. He initiated construction of a family residence near Staplehurst; by 1868, Staplehurst Place was recognized as an impressive timber-built mansion. He established himself there shortly before marrying in 1836, living near his brother William at Ashurst Park close to Tunbridge Wells.
In 1842, Hoare held the office of High Sheriff of Kent. He became a partner at Hoare's Bank on London's Fleet Street in 1845 and remained so until 1865. After the death of his cousin Charles Hoare in 1851, only Henry and Peter Richard Hoare the younger remained as partners. In 1852, Henry took on the role of treasurer for the Incorporated Church Building Society, strengthening the bank’s historical connections with Church of England building initiatives.
Hoare laid the foundation stone for a new chapel at St John's College in 1864; this chapel had been designed by George Gilbert Scott. His participation led to a proposal for an additional tower funded through five annual contributions from him, despite initial resistance from George Bonney.
After sustaining injuries in a railway accident in March 1865, Hoare passed away on 16 April 1866 at his Staplehurst estate. The chapel tower received only partial funding; Henry’s successor, Henry Hoare the younger, stipulated that further financial support would require obtaining the advowson of Staplehurst from St John’s College—a request that was declined. The heir intended to assign this ecclesiastical living to his clerical brother Walter Marsham Hoare.
Lay Collaboration
In his later years, Hoare championed the involvement of laypersons in the governance of the Church of England, earning acknowledgment from prominent individuals such as William Hale. By 1860, his efforts had expanded to include the establishment of the Committee of Laymen and the Church Institution. His theological perspective was shaped by a blend of an evangelical heritage and High Church elements influenced by the Tracts for the Times.
Hoare served as chairman of the Society for the Revival of Convocation, which was founded in 1850 partly as a reaction to the Privy Council’s decision in the Gorham case. The reestablishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England during that same year further spurred this movement. Employing Protestant arguments concerning "papal aggression," Hoare underscored this event as indicative of the "crippled state of the Church of England."
According to the Church Dictionary, Hoare, alongside Samuel Wilberforce, played a pivotal role in reactivating Convocation despite resistance from Archbishops John Bird Sumner and Thomas Musgrave. The publication observed that ongoing parliamentary debates on issues such as the emancipation of the Jews in the United Kingdom and other minorities raised questions about Parliament’s authority over Church affairs. Having been inactive since 1717 due to the Bangorian controversy, Convocation was revived with backing from both Tractarian and evangelical factions: Canterbury in 1852 followed by York in 1861.
Hoare partnered with William Emery, a cleric and Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, to reinvigorate Convocation. In 1852, he encountered Bishop William Broughton of Australia, who, according to biographer James Bradby Sweet, influenced Hoare’s concepts regarding lay involvement in diocesan synods.
Family
In 1836, Hoare wed Lady Mary Marsham, daughter of Charles Marsham, 2nd Earl of Romney. Together they had twelve children:
- Mary Sophia (b. 1837), their eldest daughter, who married Rev. Thomas William Onslow Hallward in 1862.
- Henry Hoare (1838–1898), their firstborn son and banker; married Beatrice Ann Paley, daughter of Rev. George Barber Paley, in 1865.
- Cecilia Elizabeth (1839–1863), second daughter; remained unmarried.
- Walter Marsham Hoare (1840–1912), second son and clergyman; participated in Oxford’s 1863 Boat Race. He married Jessie Mary Robertson in 1867 and was father to Arthur Robertson Hoare.
- Caroline Charlotte (b. 1841).
- Angelina Margaret Hoare (1843–1892), fourth daughter known for her contributions to female education in India.
- Charles Hoare (1844–1898), third son and banker; married Katherine Georgina Hervey, daughter of Lord Arthur Charles Hervey, in 1872.
- William Hoare (1847–1925), fourth son engaged in banking and brewing; also an amateur cricketer for the Gentlemen of Kent. He married Laura Lennard, daughter of Sir John Farnaby Lennard, 1st Baronet, in 1878.
- Sophia Louisa, fifth daughter.
- Alfred Hoare (1850–1938), fifth son who pursued careers as surgeon and banker.
- Katharine, sixth daughter.
- Hugh Edward Hoare (b. 1854), sixth son involved in politics and brewing.