Robert Cooper Lee Bevan
Robert Cooper Lee Bevan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1809-02-08 Hale End, Walthamstow, England |
| Died | 1890-07-22 |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Senior partner at Barclays Bank |
Robert Cooper Lee Bevan (8 February 1809 – 22 July 1890) was a prominent British banker and held the position of senior partner at Barclays Bank.
Early life
Bevan was born in Hale End, Walthamstow, as the eldest child of banker David Bevan and heiress Favell Bourke Lee. His education included time at Harrow School followed by studies at Christ Church, Oxford. His full name commemorates his maternal grandfather, Robert Cooper Lee, who served as Crown Solicitor-General of Jamaica.
Career
Throughout the 19th century, Bevan played a key role in expanding Barclays Bank in his capacity as senior partner.
Personal life
Bevan resided at both Fosbury House, Wiltshire, and Trent Park, London—the latter estate acquired by his father to celebrate his marriage to Agneta Elizabeth Yorke. He was the founder of Christ Church, Cockfosters, notable for housing the Bevan family vault, which stands as the largest monument in its churchyard.
He fathered sixteen children from two marriages. His first marriage was to Lady Agneta Elizabeth Yorke, daughter of Vice-Admiral Hon. Sir Joseph Sidney Yorke, with whom he had seven offspring, among them:
- Sydney Bevan (1838–1901)
- Francis Augustus Bevan (1840–1919), who later chaired Barclays Bank from 1896 to 1916
- Roland Yorke Bevan (1848–1923), who married Agneta Olivia Fitzgerald, daughter of Arthur Kinnaird, 10th Lord Kinnaird
- Edith Agneta Bevan (1850–1929), spouse of William Middleton Campbell
His second wife was Emma Frances Shuttleworth, a translator and poet, daughter of Philip Nicholas Shuttleworth, Bishop of Chichester. Together, they had nine children including:
- Anthony Ashley Bevan (1859–1933), an orientalist
- Edwyn Robert Bevan, noted philosopher and historian
- Nesta Helen Bevan (1875–1960), an author recognized for reviving conspiracy theories related to the Illuminati
The family maintained considerable prominence in banking circles, scholarly pursuits, and literary fields during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Brighton Town Mission (Brighton and Hove City Mission)
During his time in Brighton, Bevan observed the harsh realities faced by slum inhabitants. Driven by his Christian convictions, he sought to counteract widespread ignorance and moral decline. By autumn 1849, a plan was established to create a Town Mission inspired by the London City Mission model. This project employed men to conduct house-to-house visits and was supported through subscriptions from donors.
Land
John Bateman's 1883 publication Great Landowners records that Bevan possessed:
- 2,227 acres in Wiltshire (yielding 1,679 guineas annually), 956 acres in Berkshire (807 guineas per annum), and 214 acres in Hampshire (160 guineas per annum), including the Fosbury estate.
- Additionally, he owned 469 acres in Middlesex (producing 794 guineas per annum) and 47 acres in Hertfordshire (136 guineas per annum), encompassing Trent Park.
- In total, his landholdings spanned 3,913 acres with an annual income of approximately 3,576 guineas.
Death
Bevan passed away in the year 1890.