Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 2nd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 2nd Baronet, (1 May 1808 – 4 May 1886) was a prominent English Catholic. Born at Croston Hall near Chorley
, Lancashire
on 1 May 1808, he was the fourth child and the eldest son of Sir Thomas de Trafford.
and became a boarder in the high master's house. In 1826 he entered the Royal Dragoons
, becoming a lieutenant in 1830, and retiring in 1832. He is recorded as having placed the last keystone in position for the Victoria Bridge, connecting Manchester and Salford across the River Irwell
, on 23 March 1839.
On the death of his father, on 10 October 1852, he became the 2nd Baronet de Trafford
, 25th Lord of Trafford, and took up residence at the family home of Trafford Hall, in Trafford Park
.
On 17 January 1855, he married Lady Annette Mary Talbot, eldest sister and co-heiress of Bertram Talbot, 17th Earl of Shrewsbury. The ceremony took place at the Catholic Church, Rugby and was performed by William Bernard Ullathorne
, Bishop of Birmingham
. It was the first marriage since the Reformation
to be performed with full Catholic ceremony. They had five daughters and three sons:
The national land survey of 1873 records Sir Humphrey as holding 1990 acres (805.3 ha) of land in Cheshire, producing an annual gross rental income of £
3,361. In 1861 he served as High Sheriff of Lancashire
home of engineer Daniel Adamson
resulted in the creation of the Manchester Ship Canal
committee. Sir Humphrey de Trafford was an implacable opponent of the proposed canal, which the committee proposed would cross his land at Trafford Park
. He objected, amongst other things, that it would bring polluted water close to his residence, interfere with his drainage, and render Trafford Hall uninhabitable, forcing him to "give up his home and leave the place". Despite Sir Humphrey's opposition the Ship Canal Bill became law on 6 August 1885, after two previous Bills had failed to get through Parliament.
Sir Humphrey became paralysed in 1884 and never recovered. He died at 10 am on Tuesday, 4 May 1886, aged 78. Construction of the Manchester Ship Canal
began the following year.
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
on 1 May 1808, he was the fourth child and the eldest son of Sir Thomas de Trafford.
Early life
In 1821 he was entered as a pupil at the Manchester Grammar SchoolManchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
and became a boarder in the high master's house. In 1826 he entered the Royal Dragoons
Royal Dragoons
The Royal Dragoons was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661, and served until 1969, when it was amalgamated with the Royal Horse Guards to form The Blues and Royals....
, becoming a lieutenant in 1830, and retiring in 1832. He is recorded as having placed the last keystone in position for the Victoria Bridge, connecting Manchester and Salford across the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
, on 23 March 1839.
On the death of his father, on 10 October 1852, he became the 2nd Baronet de Trafford
De Trafford Baronets
The de Trafford Baronetcy, of Trafford Park in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was restored after the Catholic Emancipation, by Royal Decree on 7 September 1841, for Thomas de Trafford...
, 25th Lord of Trafford, and took up residence at the family home of Trafford Hall, in Trafford Park
Trafford Park
Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...
.
On 17 January 1855, he married Lady Annette Mary Talbot, eldest sister and co-heiress of Bertram Talbot, 17th Earl of Shrewsbury. The ceremony took place at the Catholic Church, Rugby and was performed by William Bernard Ullathorne
William Bernard Ullathorne
William Bernard Ullathorne was an English Roman Catholic bishop and a missionary in Australia.-Early life:William Ullathorne was born in Pocklington, Yorkshire, the eldest of ten children of William Ullathorne, a prosperous grocer, draper and spirit merchant, and his wife Hannah, née Longstaff...
, Bishop of Birmingham
Bishop of Birmingham
The Bishop of Birmingham heads the Church of England diocese of Birmingham, in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The diocese covers the North West of the historical county of Warwickshire and has its see in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, where the seat of the diocese is located at the...
. It was the first marriage since the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
to be performed with full Catholic ceremony. They had five daughters and three sons:
- Mildred Mary Josephine (27 March 1856 – 29 December 1934), married Charles Bellew, 3rd Baron Bellew, 8 August 1883.
- Humphrey FrancisSir Humphrey de Trafford, 3rd BaronetSir Humphrey Francis de Trafford was an English landowner and racehorse breeder. He was the son of Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 2nd Baronet and Lady Annette Mary Talbot....
, born 3 July 1862, who became the Third Baronet - Charles EdmundCharles de TraffordCharles Edmund de Trafford was an English aristocrat and noted cricketer.-Early life:Charles was born at Trafford Hall, Trafford Park, Stretford, the second son of Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 2nd Baronet and his wife Lady Annette Talbot.-Cricket:In 1884 aged 20, Charles joined the team of Lancashire...
, born 21 May 1864, who played cricket for LancashireLancashire County Cricket ClubLancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
and the MCCMarylebone Cricket ClubMarylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, and captained LeicestershireLeicestershire County Cricket ClubLeicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
for 17 seasons. Charles married Lady Agnes, daughter of Rudolph Feilding, 8th Earl of DenbighRudolph Feilding, 8th Earl of DenbighRudolph William Basil Feilding, 8th Earl of Denbigh, 7th Earl of Desmond was a British peer, succeeding to his titles on the death in 1865 of his father, the 7th Earl of Denbigh...
, on 15 October 1892. Their eldest son Captain Hubert Edmund de Trafford was awarded the DSC for heroism during World War I and later emigrated to MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, his daughter later returned to England and married Admiral Arthur Francis TurnerArthur Francis TurnerAdmiral Sir Francis Turner, KCB DSC was a British naval officer. He was the son of Rear Admiral AWJ Turner and his wife Mrs AM Turner .-Naval career:...
. - Gundrede Annette Teresa, married Sir Timothy Carew O'Brien, 3rd BaronetSir Tim O'Brien, 3rd BaronetSir Timothy "Tim" Carew O'Brien, 3rd Baronet was born at Dublin on 5 November 1861 and died at Ramsey, Isle of Man on 9 December 1948. He was an Irish baronet who played cricket for England in five Test matches....
, also a cricketer, on 22 September 1885. - Mary Annette
- Sicele Agnes (22 February 1867 – 5 February 1948). On 2 June 1892 she became the second wife of Charles William Clifford, son of Sir Charles Clifford, the first Speaker of the New Zealand House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the New Zealand House of RepresentativesIn New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives...
. - Mary Hilda, who became a nun.
- Gilbert Talbot Joseph, born 1871 or 1872. Died 15 July 1890, aged 19.
The national land survey of 1873 records Sir Humphrey as holding 1990 acres (805.3 ha) of land in Cheshire, producing an annual gross rental income of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
3,361. In 1861 he served as High Sheriff of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
Manchester Ship Canal
In 1882, a meeting held at the DidsburyDidsbury
Didsbury is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre, in the southern half of the Greater Manchester Urban Area...
home of engineer Daniel Adamson
Daniel Adamson
Daniel Adamson was a notable English engineer who became a successful manufacturer of boilers and was the driving force behind the inception of the Manchester Ship Canal project during the 1880s.-Early life:...
resulted in the creation of the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
committee. Sir Humphrey de Trafford was an implacable opponent of the proposed canal, which the committee proposed would cross his land at Trafford Park
Trafford Park
Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...
. He objected, amongst other things, that it would bring polluted water close to his residence, interfere with his drainage, and render Trafford Hall uninhabitable, forcing him to "give up his home and leave the place". Despite Sir Humphrey's opposition the Ship Canal Bill became law on 6 August 1885, after two previous Bills had failed to get through Parliament.
Sir Humphrey became paralysed in 1884 and never recovered. He died at 10 am on Tuesday, 4 May 1886, aged 78. Construction of the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
began the following year.