William Debonaire Haggard
William Debonaire Haggard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | April 4, 1866 (aged 79) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, numismatist |
| Known for | Principal at the Bullion Office, Bank of England; President of the Royal Numismatic Society (1847–1849) |
William Debonaire Haggard FSA, FRAS (2 February 1787 – 4 April 1866) was a distinguished London-based banker, specialist in numismatics, and authority on bullion. During the 1840s, he held the position of Principal at the Bullion Office within the Bank of England.
Life
Haggard was born to Mark Haggard of Strafford-le-Bow and descended from the merchant John Haggard of Old Fort House. He was related as a second cousin twice removed to Chancellor John Haggard from the Haggard family of Bradenham Hall. His family tree also includes notable figures such as the author Sir H. Rider Haggard, Admiral Sir Vernon Haggard, and British Consul General Sir Godfrey Haggard.
Through his son Frederick Thomas Haggard and Frederick’s wife Jane Copner, he became grandfather to Eleanor, who wed John Edward Ivor Yale, a member of the influential Yale lineage. Frederick was active in Tory political spheres and a member of the London Stock Exchange during the periods when Lord Rosebery and Neville Chamberlain served as Prime Ministers. The family heritage also connects to the Huguenot Debonnaire lineage and the artist Christopher Anstey.
In recognition of his numismatic expertise, Haggard was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1833. Additionally, he was a Fellow of both the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Numismatic Society, presiding over the latter from 1847 until 1849.
As head of the Bank of England’s Bullion Office, he provided testimony before a commission examining the Royal Mint’s operations under Queen Victoria, particularly focusing on practices related to melting gold coins.
An avid collector of art, his assemblage was sold at Sotheby’s auction in August 1866. A portrait painted by Leonard Charles Wyon in 1844 is preserved by the British Museum.
With another spouse, Jane Le Crew, he fathered at least one son named Mark Haggard.
Publications
- "Observations on the standard of value and the circulating medium of this country", The Numismatic Chronicle (1838-1842), volume 2, pages 17-35
- Some remarks on the English coinage (1835)
- Miscellaneous papers (Windsor, 1860) – privately printed
- "The life of Abraham Newland, late principal cashier of the Bank of England, 1808": Comments on this essay and our monetary system (1866)
- (co-authored with J. Eckfeldt and W. Du Bois) "New Varieties of Gold and Silver Coins, Counterfeit Coins, and Bullion, with Mint Values", The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society, volume 13, pages 135-138 (1850)
- "Californian Gold", The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society, volume 13 (1850), pages 37-41
- "Notice of a medal of the Chevalier d'Eon", The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society, volume 11 (1848), pages 48-56
- "Medals of the Pretender", The Numismatic Chronicle (1838-1842), volume 1 (1838), pages 219-222
- "Medals of the Pretender (part 2)", The Numismatic Chronicle (1838-1842), volume 2, pages 37-42
- "Medals of the Pretender (part 3)", The Numismatic Chronicle (1838-1842), volume 3, pages 149-152
- "Experiments on a Piece of Peña Silver from the Lady Charlotte wreck, regarding its capability to hold water" (abstract). Abstracts of Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, volume 4 (1837), pages 118-119