Henry van Wart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henry van Wart (1784 - 1873) was an American, but became British by special act of parliament. He was a businessman and politician, a founder of the Birmingham Stock Exchange, one of Birmingham's first Aldermen and a director of the Birmingham Banking Company.
He was married to Sarah, the sister of author Washington Irving. They had four children: William (1812 - 1868), Matilda (b. 1814), Marianne (b. 1816). and George (b. 1817; later a wine merchant). William would later name his first- born Washington Irving Van Wart (b. 1836), whose niece in turn was called Rosalinda Irving Van Wart (b. 1874).
Henry and Sarah met when he was employed by her family's New York company, Irving & Smith, and they moved to England when he was tasked with opening a Liverpool branch of the firm.
After that enterprise failed, they moved to Birmingham, and he set up a profitable business, exporting the city's goods to America.
Washington Irving lived with the van Warts at four of their homes in Birmingham, light- heartedly christening two of these buildings "Castle van Tromp" and writing some of his most successful stories at them.
He is also known to have worshipped at St Paul's Church in St Paul's Square, Birmingham.
