George Hibbert
Encyclopedia
George Hibbert was an eminent English
merchant, politician
, slave- and ship
-owner, amateur botanist and book collector. With Robert Milligan
, he was also one of the principals of the West India Dock Company which instigated the construction of the West India Docks
on London
's Isle of Dogs
in 1800. He also helped found the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
in 1824.
, and Hibbert became agent for the island in Great Britain, eventually retiring from the post in 1831.
He was vice-president of the London Institution
in 1806, the first chairman of the West India Dock Company which promoted the construction of the West India Docks
from 1800 to 1802, and Member of Parliament
(MP) for Seaford
from 31 October 1806 until 5 October 1812.
and another in Clapham
in south-west London, where he accumulated a considerable collection of books, including Gutenberg's Bible on paper (now at New York
), the 1459 Psalter on vellum (now at The Hague
) and the Complutensian polyglot
, also on vellum (now at Chantilly
). When he moved from London in 1829, his book collection was sold at auction raising the then princely sum of £23,000.
and botany
. According to JCL Loudon's 1835 Encyclopedia of Gardening: 'The collection of heaths, Banksia
s, and other Cape and Botany Bay plants, in Hibbert's garden, was most extensive, and his flower-garden one of the best round the metropolis."
Hibbert funded various botanical expeditions, notably that of James Niven
, an avid gardener and collector of plants, who was sent to the Cape region of South Africa
in 1798. He remained for five years, sending home a ‘valuable herbarium of native specimens’ and new plants, including five new species of protea
s – Hibbert’s passion. Niven collected seeds of Nivenia corymbosa which were sent back and grown at Hibbert's Clapham estate in London. Hibbert's gardener, Joseph Knight, was reputedly one of the first people to propagate Proteaceae
in England, and the genus
Hibbertia
is named after him. Hibbert was also one of the first people to grow Hosta
s in Europe.
built in London in 1804, used to import sugar, rum, cotton, coffee, and tropical hardwoods from the West Indies and later, c.1834, used to transport convicts to Australia). The archway of the original gate, which had a pair of tall wrought-iron gates, was large enough to admit carts and wagons onto the quays. It became an emblem of the West India Docks and formed part of the arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar
. Hibbert Gate and its flanking walls were dismantled in 1932 as its narrow archway impeded traffic.
and Thomas Wilson
, Liberal MP for Southwark
, to help found the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck - an institution better known today as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- on 4 March 1824.
Hibbert's portrait was painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence
in 1812 and by John Hoppner
(c.1800).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
merchant, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, slave- and ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
-owner, amateur botanist and book collector. With Robert Milligan
Robert Milligan
Robert Milligan was a prominent English merchant and ship-owner, and was the driving force behind the construction of the West India Docks in London....
, he was also one of the principals of the West India Dock Company which instigated the construction of the West India Docks
West India Docks
The West India Docks are a series of three docks on the Isle of Dogs in London, the first of which opened in 1802. The docks closed to commercial traffic in 1980 and the Canary Wharf development was built on the site.-History:...
on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames.-Etymology:...
in 1800. He also helped found the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
in 1824.
Family background
Like Milligan, Hibbert came from families made rich from cultivating sugar plantations in the West Indies. The Hibbert estates were in Agualta Vale, JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, and Hibbert became agent for the island in Great Britain, eventually retiring from the post in 1831.
He was vice-president of the London Institution
London Institution
The London Institution was an educational institution founded in London in 1806...
in 1806, the first chairman of the West India Dock Company which promoted the construction of the West India Docks
West India Docks
The West India Docks are a series of three docks on the Isle of Dogs in London, the first of which opened in 1802. The docks closed to commercial traffic in 1980 and the Canary Wharf development was built on the site.-History:...
from 1800 to 1802, and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Seaford
Seaford (UK Parliament constituency)
The UK parliamentary constituency of Seaford was a Cinque Port constituency, similar to a parliamentary borough, in Seaford, East Sussex. A rotten borough, prone by size to undue influence by a patron, it was disenfranchised in the Reform Act of 1832...
from 31 October 1806 until 5 October 1812.
Book collector
He lived for some years London, dividing his time between a house in Portland PlacePortland Place
Portland Place is a street in the Marylebone district of central London, England.-History and topography:The street was laid out by the brothers Robert and James Adam for the Duke of Portland in the late 18th century and originally ran north from the gardens of a detached mansion called Foley House...
and another in Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
in south-west London, where he accumulated a considerable collection of books, including Gutenberg's Bible on paper (now at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
), the 1459 Psalter on vellum (now at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
) and the Complutensian polyglot
Complutensian Polyglot Bible
The Complutensian Polyglot Bible is the name given to the first printed polyglot of the entire Bible, initiated and financed by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros . It includes the first printed editions of the Greek New Testament, the complete Septuagint, and the Targum Onkelos...
, also on vellum (now at Chantilly
Chantilly, Oise
Chantilly is a small city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune in the department of Oise.It is in the metropolitan area of Paris 38.4 km...
). When he moved from London in 1829, his book collection was sold at auction raising the then princely sum of £23,000.
Botanist
Perhaps due to his planting interests in Jamaica, Hibbert became interested in gardeningGardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
and botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
. According to JCL Loudon's 1835 Encyclopedia of Gardening: 'The collection of heaths, Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
s, and other Cape and Botany Bay plants, in Hibbert's garden, was most extensive, and his flower-garden one of the best round the metropolis."
Hibbert funded various botanical expeditions, notably that of James Niven
James Niven
James Niven was a Scottish physician most famous for his work during the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918 as Manchester's Medical Officer of Health. He held the position for 28 years , until he retired. He held the degrees of M.A., M.B. and LL.D. He had been Oldham's Medical Officer of Health from...
, an avid gardener and collector of plants, who was sent to the Cape region of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1798. He remained for five years, sending home a ‘valuable herbarium of native specimens’ and new plants, including five new species of protea
Protea
Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes.-Etymology:...
s – Hibbert’s passion. Niven collected seeds of Nivenia corymbosa which were sent back and grown at Hibbert's Clapham estate in London. Hibbert's gardener, Joseph Knight, was reputedly one of the first people to propagate Proteaceae
Proteaceae
Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...
in England, and the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Hibbertia
Hibbertia
Hibbertia, or Guinea flower, is a genus of trees, shrubs, trailing shrubs and climbers of the family Dilleniaceae. The five-petalled flowers of all species are varying shades of yellow, with the exception of H. stellaris, H. miniata and H. selkii, a recently named species from the Stirling...
is named after him. Hibbert was also one of the first people to grow Hosta
Hosta
Hosta is a genus of about 23–45 species of lily-like plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to northeast Asia. They have been placed in their own family, Hostaceae ; like many 'lilioid monocots', they were once classified in the Liliaceae...
s in Europe.
Hibbert Gate
The Hibbert gate, situated at the western end of the West India Docks, was commissioned by Canary Wharf Group plc, and is a replica of the original gate that stood at the visitors' entrance to the West India Docks. The original 1803 gate was called the “Main Gate”, but became known as the “Hibbert Gate” after the model of the ship that stood on top of it. The "George Hibbert" was a barqueBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
built in London in 1804, used to import sugar, rum, cotton, coffee, and tropical hardwoods from the West Indies and later, c.1834, used to transport convicts to Australia). The archway of the original gate, which had a pair of tall wrought-iron gates, was large enough to admit carts and wagons onto the quays. It became an emblem of the West India Docks and formed part of the arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar
Metropolitan Borough of Poplar
Poplar was a local government district in the metropolitan area of London, England. It was formed as a district of the Metropolis in 1855 and became a metropolitan borough in the County of London in 1900. It comprised the civil parishes of Bow, Bromley and Poplar until 1907, when it also became a...
. Hibbert Gate and its flanking walls were dismantled in 1932 as its narrow archway impeded traffic.
RNLI
As a shipowner and chairman of the West Indies Merchants, Hibbert associated with philanthropist Sir William HillaryWilliam Hillary
Sir William Hillary, 1st Baronet was an English soldier, author and philanthropist, best known as the founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1824....
and Thomas Wilson
Robert Thomas Wilson
General Sir Robert Thomas Wilson Kt was a British general and politician who served in Egypt, Prussia, and was seconded to the Imperial Russian Army in 1812. He sat as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Southwark from 1818 to 1831...
, Liberal MP for Southwark
Southwark (UK Parliament constituency)
Southwark was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Southwark district of South London. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the English Parliament from 1295 to 1707, to the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, to help found the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck - an institution better known today as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
- on 4 March 1824.
Hibbert's portrait was painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence
Thomas Lawrence (painter)
Sir Thomas Lawrence RA FRS was a leading English portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy.Lawrence was a child prodigy. He was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper. At the age of ten, having moved to Bath, he was supporting his family with his...
in 1812 and by John Hoppner
John Hoppner
John Hoppner was an English portrait painter, .-Early life:Hoppner was born in Whitechapel, London, the son of German parents - his mother was one of the German attendants at the royal palace. King George's fatherly interest and patronage of the young boy gave rise to rumours, quite unfounded,...
(c.1800).