Thomson Hankey
Encyclopedia
Thomson Hankey was a British
merchant, a banker and a Liberal Party
politician.
Hankey was the son of Thomson Hankey from Portland Place
in London, and his wife Martha, the daughter of Benjamin Harrison from Clapham Common
. He became a merchant in the City of London
and a director the Bank of England
, serving as its Governor
from 1851 to 1853.
At the 1852 general election
, Hankey unsuccessfully contested the borough of Boston
in Lincolnshire.
He then contested the by-election in June 1853 for the City of Peterborough
, where he lost by a margin of 21 votes (out of a total 451) to the Liberal George Hammond Whalley
.
Whalley had been returned for Peterborough at a by-election in December 1852, but an election petition
was lodged and his election was subsequently declared void on 8 June 1853 on the grounds that Whalley had been complicit in the "treating" of voters. After his second by-election win, a further petition was lodged, and a committee of the House of Commons found that Whalley's election was invalid, because he had been disqualified as a result of the previous void election. The seat was therefore awarded to Hankey, who was declared duly elected on 14 August 1853.
Hankey was re-elected in 1857
, 1859
and 1865
, but was defeated at the 1868 general election
by the Liberal William Wells
. He was re-elected in 1874
,
but was defeated in 1880
. His name was discussed in early 1882 as a possible candidate for any future vacancy in Peterborough, but when Hampden Whalley
resigned in June 1883, Hankey did not contest the resulting by-election, and did not stand again thereafter.
He was also a Justice of the Peace
(JP) for Middlesex
, Kent
and the City of London
, and a member of Commission of lieutenancy for the City of London.
He died on 13 January 1893, aged 88. In his later years, his advanced age prevented him from taking any active part in public life.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
merchant, a banker and a Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Hankey was the son of Thomson Hankey from Portland Place
Portland 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...
in London, and his wife Martha, the daughter of Benjamin Harrison from Clapham Common
Clapham Common
Clapham Common is an 89 hectare triangular area of grassland situated in south London, England. It was historically common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, but was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878.43 hectares of the common are within the...
. He became a merchant in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and a director the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
, serving as its Governor
Governor of the Bank of England
The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor...
from 1851 to 1853.
At the 1852 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
, Hankey unsuccessfully contested the borough of Boston
Boston (UK Parliament constituency)
Boston was a parliamentary borough in Lincolnshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1547 until 1885, and then one member from 1885 until 1918, when the constituency was abolished.-History:...
in Lincolnshire.
He then contested the by-election in June 1853 for the City of Peterborough
Peterborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Peterborough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, formally styled The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past...
, where he lost by a margin of 21 votes (out of a total 451) to the Liberal George Hammond Whalley
George Hammond Whalley
George Hammond Whalley was a British lawyer and Liberal Party politician.He was the eldest son of James Whalley, a merchant and banker from Gloucester, and a direct descendant of Edward Whalley, the regicide...
.
Whalley had been returned for Peterborough at a by-election in December 1852, but an election petition
Election petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
was lodged and his election was subsequently declared void on 8 June 1853 on the grounds that Whalley had been complicit in the "treating" of voters. After his second by-election win, a further petition was lodged, and a committee of the House of Commons found that Whalley's election was invalid, because he had been disqualified as a result of the previous void election. The seat was therefore awarded to Hankey, who was declared duly elected on 14 August 1853.
Hankey was re-elected in 1857
United Kingdom general election, 1857
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
, 1859
United Kingdom general election, 1859
In the 1859 United Kingdom general election, the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, held their majority in the House of Commons over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives...
and 1865
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
, but was defeated at the 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
by the Liberal William Wells
William Wells (1818–1889)
William Wells was an English Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1852 to 1857 and from 1868 to 1874....
. He was re-elected in 1874
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
,
but was defeated in 1880
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
. His name was discussed in early 1882 as a possible candidate for any future vacancy in Peterborough, but when Hampden Whalley
Hampden Whalley
George Hampden Whalley, later George Hampden White was a British Liberal politician and soldier.The son of George Hammond Whalley, Member of Parliament for Peterborough, he was born at the family estate of Plas Madoc in 1851...
resigned in June 1883, Hankey did not contest the resulting by-election, and did not stand again thereafter.
He was also a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(JP) for Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, and a member of Commission of lieutenancy for the City of London.
He died on 13 January 1893, aged 88. In his later years, his advanced age prevented him from taking any active part in public life.