Isaac Spooner
Isaac Spooner | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1735 Aston, near Birmingham, England |
| Died | 1816 |
| Occupation(s) | Ironmaster, financier, banker |
| Years active | 18th century – early 19th century |
| Known for | Establishing the Birmingham Bank |
Isaac Spooner (circa 1735–1816) was a prominent English ironmaster and financier who established the Birmingham Bank.
Life
The son of Abraham Spooner and Anne Knight, Spooner became involved in the family’s iron enterprise, which operated a furnace located in Aston, near Birmingham. In 1791, alongside Matthias Attwood the elder, he launched the Birmingham Bank. This institution grew to be the largest private bank in Birmingham, primarily catering to agriculturalists and industrialists. By 1801, the bank had extended its operations by opening a London branch under the name Spooner, Attwood & Holman. Eventually renamed Attwood, Spooner & Co., the bank ceased operations in 1865.
Spooner was known for his evangelical beliefs and commitment to abolitionism. He possessed more than 2000 acres at Elmdon, West Midlands, where he completed Elmdon Hall—a project begun by his father in 1795—which remained until 1956. Today, Elmdon Park occupies this historic location.
Family
Isaac Spooner married Barbara Gough, daughter of Sir Henry Gough, 1st Baronet, sister to Henry Gough-Calthorpe, 1st Baron Calthorpe, and granddaughter of MP Reynolds Calthorpe. Their family included multiple children:
- Abraham, who wed the daughter of Luke Lillingston (the great-nephew and heir of General Luke Lillingston) from Ferriby Grange; he adopted the surname Abraham Spooner Lillingston.
- Isaac, who in 1807 married a Miss Tyler from Redland.
- Barbara Ann, who became the wife of William Wilberforce.
- Anne, who was the second spouse of Edward Vansittart—son of George Vansittart and Vicar of Taplow—and mother to Edward Vansittart Neale.
- Henry, educated at Rugby School.
- William, who served as Archdeacon of Coventry.
- Richard, a parliamentarian who married Charlotte, daughter of Nathan Wetherell.
- John, who entered the clergy.
The couple had nine or ten children altogether, including Eliza, who remained unmarried. In an 1885 biography titled Life of Thomas Attwood, Richard is identified as the ninth child.