John Twells
John Twells | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1776-06-27 |
| Died | 1866-03-10 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, Deputy Chairman of London & Greenwich Railway |
| Years active | 1801–1837 |
| Known for | Partner at Spooner, Attwood & Co; inaugural deputy chairman of London & Greenwich Railway |
John Twells (1776–1866) was a prominent English banker, serving as a partner in the private banking firm Spooner, Attwood & Co, and held the position of deputy chairman at the London & Greenwich Railway.
Life
Twells was born on 27 June 1776 and began his career in banking in 1801. By approximately 1816, he had become a partner at Spooner, Attwood & Co., located on Gracechurch Street in London, working alongside Isaac Spooner.
In 1834, he took on the role of the inaugural deputy chairman of the London & Greenwich Railway, a post he maintained until his resignation in 1837. During the 1857 Parliamentary Select Committee inquiry into the Bank Charter Act 1844, Twells provided testimony endorsing the earlier Bank Restriction Act 1797. He remarked on the significant impact that the British Parliament's abolition of America's representative currency had caused.
Twells's insight that the 1844 Act favored bankers while only slightly disadvantaging merchants was later referenced by Karl Marx.
He passed away on 10 March 1866. His son John authored the work How can paper money increase the wealth of a nation? published in 1867.
Family and connections
Twells was married to Mary Line from Alum Rock, Worcestershire, and they had two sons: the Reverend John Twells and Philip Twells M.P. Through marriage ties, Matthias Attwood M.P., who served as treasurer of the London & Greenwich Railway and was involved in banking, was connected to Twells by marrying Susanna Twells, daughter of Twells's brother William.
Philip M. Twells owned Twells & Co., manufacturers based in Birmingham, which supplied locomotive No. 8 Thames to the London & Greenwich Railway in 1838—likely a one-off order. The company may have primarily functioned as agents. Philip Mellor Twells specialized in manufacturing brass and copper tubes in Birmingham. His son was Edward Twells.