Sir William Curtis, 1st Baronet

Sir
William Curtis
Bt
Sir William Curtis Bt
	portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1823-1824
Born	25 January 1752 Wapping, London, England, United Kingdom
Died	18 January 1829 (aged 76) England, United Kingdom
Nationality	English
Occupation(s)	Businessman, banker, politician

Sir William Curtis, 1st Baronet (25 January 1752 – 18 January 1829)^[2] was an English merchant, banker, politician and slave trader. Although he had a long political and business career (the two significantly intertwined), he was probably best known for the banquets he hosted.

Life

Born in Wapping, London, Curtis was the son of a sea biscuit manufacturer, Joseph Curtis, and his wife Mary Tennant.^[3] The family business was making ship's biscuit and other dry provisions for the Royal Navy. They were also shipowners whose vessels carried convicts to Australia and engaged in South Sea whaling.^[4]

A lifelong Tory, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the City of London at the 1790 general election.^[5] He held the seat continuously for 28 years until his defeat at the 1818 general election.^[6] He was returned to the Commons in February 1819 at a by-election for Bletchingley,^[7]^[8] and at the 1820 general election he was returned again for the City of London.^[2]^[6] He did not contest London again at the 1826 election,^[6] when he was returned for Hastings.^[9]^[10] He resigned that seat later the same year.^[10]

Curtis was also Alderman of the city, becoming Sheriff of London in 1788 and Lord Mayor in 1795–96. He was known for the lavish banquets he gave at his estate, Cullands Grove. He was created a Baronet of Cullonds Grove in 1802.^[11]

Curtis died in 1829. His estate sale ran for a week, and included 370 dozen bottles of wine, port, claret, East India Madeira, sherry (Wild's), Malaga, Hock, and beer.^[12]

References

^ Sir William Curtis, 1st Bt. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
^ ^a ^b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 3)
^ "Curtis, William (1752–1829), of Culland's Grove, Southgate, Mdx., History of Parliament Online". Retrieved 18 March 2018.
^ Jane M. Clayton & Charles A. Clayton, Shipowners investing in the South Sea whale fishery from Britain; 1775 to 1815, Hassobury, 2016, p.89.
^ "No. 13213". The London Gazette. 26 June 1790. p. 397.
^ ^a ^b ^c Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 210–211. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^ "No. 17450". The London Gazette. 16 February 1819. p. 307.
^ Stooks Smith, page 545
^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 2)
^ ^a ^b Stooks Smith, page 338
^ "No. 15536". The London Gazette. 27 November 1802. p. 1253.
^ Newby, Herbert W. (1949) "Old" Southgate. London: T. Grove. pp. 17–29.

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sir William Curtis
"CURTIS, William (1752-1829), of Culland's Grove, Southgate, Mdx.", The History of Parliament, The History of Parliament Trust, retrieved 26 February 2012

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Nathaniel Newnham John Sawbridge Sir Watkin Lewes Brook Watson	Member of Parliament for the City of London 1790 – 1800 With: John Sawbridge to 1795 Brook Watson to 1793 Sir Watkin Lewes to 1796 John Anderson from 1793 William Lushington from 1795 Harvey Christian Combe from 1796	Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain	Member of Parliament for the City of London 1801 – 1818 With: William Lushington to 1802 John Anderson to 1806 Harvey Christian Combe to 1817 Sir Charles Price, Bt 1802–12 Sir James Shaw, Bt 1806–18 John Atkins 1812–18 Matthew Wood	Succeeded by Thomas Wilson Robert Waithman John Thomas Thorp Matthew Wood
Preceded by Matthew Russell George Tennyson	Member of Parliament for Bletchingley Feb 1819 – 1820 With: George Tennyson Marquess of Titchfield	Succeeded by Edward Henry Edwardes Marquess of Titchfield
Preceded by Thomas Wilson Robert Waithman John Thomas Thorp Matthew Wood	Member of Parliament for City of London 1826 – 1826 With: George Bridges Thomas Wilson Matthew Wood	Succeeded by William Thompson Robert Waithman William Ward Matthew Wood
Preceded by James Dawkins William Scott	Member of Parliament for Hastings Jun 1826 – Nov 1826 With: Sir Charles Wetherell	Succeeded by Evelyn Denison James Lushington
Civic offices
Preceded by Thomas Skinner	Lord Mayor of London 1795–1796	Succeeded by Brook Watson
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Baronet (of Cullands Grove) 1802–1829	Succeeded by William Curtis