Thomson Hankey
Thomson Hankey | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1805-06-15 London, England |
| Died | 1893-01-13 |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, banker, politician |
| Years active | 1830s–1880s |
| Known for | Governor of the Bank of England (1851–1853), Member of Parliament for City of Peterborough |
Thomson Hankey (15 June 1805 – 13 January 1893) was a prominent British merchant, banker, and politician affiliated with the Liberal Party.
As the firstborn son of Thomson Hankey senior from Portland Place, London, and Martha Harrison of Clapham Common, Hankey initially joined his father’s trading enterprise located in the City of London. He later became a director at the Bank of England, advancing to the roles of Deputy Governor and subsequently Governor between 1851 and 1853. In 1831, he married Apolline Agatha Alexander, daughter of William Alexander and half-sister to Sir William Alexander.
Under the provisions of the Slave Compensation Act 1837, Hankey received payments related to the emancipation of enslaved individuals from the Grenville Vale estate in Grenada. In June 2020, following investigations by the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership at UCL, the Bank of England issued a formal apology acknowledging Hankey’s connections to the slave trade.
In terms of his political career, Hankey stood unsuccessfully for election in the borough of Boston in 1852 and narrowly missed winning the 1853 by-election in City of Peterborough. After election petitions invalidated his opponent’s wins due to electoral fraud, Hankey was officially declared elected in August 1853. He secured re-election in 1857, 1859, and 1865 but was defeated in 1868 by fellow Liberal William Wells. He reclaimed the seat in 1874 but lost once more in 1880. Although he was considered for subsequent vacancies, he refrained from standing after 1883.
Beyond politics, Hankey held positions as a justice of the peace across Middlesex, Kent, and the City of London and served on the commission of lieutenancy for the City. He passed away at age 88 on 13 January 1893; his advanced years had curtailed his public engagements during his later life.