John Scandrett Harford
Encyclopedia
John Scandrett Harford, FRS (8 Oct 1785 - 16 Apr 1866) was a British banker, benefactor and abolitionist.
He was born the son of John Scandrett Harford, a prominent banker in the English city of Bristol
and educated at Christ College, Cambridge. By the end of the 18th Century he was a wealthy banker in his own right and known as being a landowner, a staunch Quaker and an abolitionist
(and friend of William Wilberforce
).
Harford had a sizeable portfolio, including the Blaise Castle
estate at Henbury
. This was originally property of Thomas Farr, but Farr went bankrupt in 1778 following the American Revolutionary War
. The estate then changed hands a number of times, but it was Harford who eventually purchased the land and buildings. As of circa 1815, he also owned the Peterwell estate at Lampeter
, making the purchase jointly with his younger brothers.
It was shortly after a meeting with Bishop Burgess, the founder of St David's College Lampeter in 1820, that Harford offered to donate to him the site of Lampeter Castle, 'Castle Field' or 'Cae Castell' in Welsh, which, as Lords of the Manor
of Lampeter, he and his brothers now owned. As such, it is on land donated by Harford that the University of Wales, Lampeter
now stands. A bust of Harford is in the collection of the University of Wales, Lampeter, and is currently on display in that institution's main library building. Two halls of residence at the university, Harford I and Harford II, are also named after him.
He was also a moderately successful artist
, and his oil paintings can often be found at auctions in the UK. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1923.
He married Louisa, the daughter of Richard Hart Davis. In later life he went blind. He died at Blaise Castle in 1866.
He was born the son of John Scandrett Harford, a prominent banker in the English city of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and educated at Christ College, Cambridge. By the end of the 18th Century he was a wealthy banker in his own right and known as being a landowner, a staunch Quaker and an abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
(and friend of William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
).
Harford had a sizeable portfolio, including the Blaise Castle
Blaise Castle
Blaise Castle is an 18th century mansion house and estate near Henbury in Bristol , England. Blaise Castle was immortalised by being described as "the finest place in England" in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey....
estate at Henbury
Henbury
Henbury is a suburb of Bristol, England, approximately 5 mi northwest of the city centre. It was formerly a village in Gloucestershire and is now bordered by Westbury-on-Trym to the south; Brentry to the east and the Blaise Castle estate Blaise Hamlet and Lawrence Weston to the west...
. This was originally property of Thomas Farr, but Farr went bankrupt in 1778 following the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The estate then changed hands a number of times, but it was Harford who eventually purchased the land and buildings. As of circa 1815, he also owned the Peterwell estate at Lampeter
Lampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...
, making the purchase jointly with his younger brothers.
It was shortly after a meeting with Bishop Burgess, the founder of St David's College Lampeter in 1820, that Harford offered to donate to him the site of Lampeter Castle, 'Castle Field' or 'Cae Castell' in Welsh, which, as Lords of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Lampeter, he and his brothers now owned. As such, it is on land donated by Harford that the University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
now stands. A bust of Harford is in the collection of the University of Wales, Lampeter, and is currently on display in that institution's main library building. Two halls of residence at the university, Harford I and Harford II, are also named after him.
He was also a moderately successful artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, and his oil paintings can often be found at auctions in the UK. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1923.
He married Louisa, the daughter of Richard Hart Davis. In later life he went blind. He died at Blaise Castle in 1866.