For the grandson of this Jonathan Backhouse, also called "Jonathan Backhouse", see Sir Jonathan Edmund Backhouse, 1st Baronet (November 15, 1849 – July 27, 1918)

Jonathan Backhouse

Sir Jonathan Edmund Backhouse, 1st Baronet was a British banker.Backhouse was a director of Backhouse's Bank the family bank in Darlington, County Durham, which merged with Barclays Bank, of which he became a director. He was created a baronet in 1901 .He served as a Justice of the Peace for...

Jonathan Backhouse (1779-1842) was a third generation banker from Darlington

Darlington

Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...

. He is known for financing the Stockton to Darlington Railway.

Biography

Backhouse was born in 19 January 1779 to his father, also named "Jonathan". After his father died, Backhouse took over what was to become Backhouse's Bank

Backhouse's Bank

Backhouse's Bank of Darlington was founded in 1774 by James Backhouse , a Quaker flax dresser and linen manufacturer, and his sons Jonathan and James ....

. In 1811 he married Hannah Chapman Gurney. Backhouse was involved with financing the Stockton and Darlington Railway

Stockton and Darlington Railway

The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...

. He raised £125,000. Twenty thousand pounds were from his own resources and the largest contribution of £80,000 came from his Quaker banker contacts.

A story is told that when the Earl of Darlington

Earl of Darlington

Earl of Darlington is a title that has been created twice, each time in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first time was in 1722 for the Baroness von Kielmansegg, half-sister1 of King George I. She was created Baroness Brentford at the same time...

's plot to bankrupt the Backhouse bank was discovered then Backhouse went to London to obtain gold to provide additional and urgent collateral. The plot was due to the Earl's anger that the new railway, financed by Backhouses's bank was causing problems with the Earl's fox hunting. Backhouse was racing back to Darlington when he lost a wheel. It is said that he was able to continue the journey by moving the gold so that the chaise was still balanced and he was able to complete the journey with a wheel still missing.

Backhouse gave up banking in 18?? in order that he could concentrate on his Quaker ministry

Recorded Minister

A Recorded Minister was originally a male or female Quaker who was acknowledged to have a gift of spoken ministry.The practice of recording, in a Monthly Meeting Minute, the acknowledgement that a Friend had a gift of spoken ministry began in the 1730s in London Yearly Meeting, according to...

.

In 1840, Backhouse is one of the leading people at the World Anti-Slavery Convention organised by Joseph Sturge

Joseph Sturge

Joseph Sturge , son of a farmer in Gloucestershire, was an English Quaker, abolitionist and activist. He founded the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society . He worked throughout his life in Radical political actions supporting pacifism, working-class rights, and the universal emancipation of...

 and the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1840. Backhouse is one the larger figures on the left of the painting. He is shown supporting the chair of the star guest and speaker, Thomas Clarkson

Thomas Clarkson

Thomas Clarkson , was an English abolitionist, and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. He helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and helped achieve passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which ended British trade in slaves...

.

Backhouse had two daughters and four sons including Edmund Backhouse

Edmund Backhouse (MP)

Edmund Backhouse , banker, J.P. on the County Durham and for the North Riding of Yorkshire benches. He was Member of Parliament for Darlington.-Family:...

who took over the banking firm and was also an M.P.