Samuel Bignold

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Portrait (1874), of Sir Samuel Bignold (1791–1895), by Frederick Sandys (1829–1904)

Sir Samuel Bignold DL (1791 – 2 January 1875)[1] was a British businessman with insurances and Conservative politician.

Background

Born in Norwich, he was the third and youngest son of Thomas Bignold[2] and his wife Sarah, widow of Julius Long and daughter of Samuel Cocksedge.[3] He was educated at schools in Norwich and Bury St Edmunds.[3]

Career

From 1814, he worked as secretary for the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Company and from 1818 had the same office for the Norwich Union Life Assurance Society,[4] both founded by his father.[3] Although an admirer of Benjamin Disraeli, he rejected the latter's rather dubious request of a loan by the Society, however after a meeting lent the money from personal funds.[3] In 1866, he arranged the incorporation of the Amicable Society, Britain's oldest life insurance institution.[3]

Bignold was appointed Sheriff of Norwich in 1830 and was mayor of that city in the years 1833, 1848, 1853 and lastly 1872.[5] He presented a note of support of the Crimean War from the city of Norwich to the Parliament in 1854, for which he was created a Knight Bachelor.[4] Shortly thereafter, he entered the British House of Commons and sat for Norwich in the following three years.[1] Bignold served as Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk.[6]

Family

In 1815, he married Elizabeth, the only child of William Atkins[6] and had by her six sons and seven daughters.[3] He died in 1875 at Bignold House, which he had bought in 1820 and then had become his head office, and was buried at St Margaret, Old Catton.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Leigh Rayment - British House of Commons, Norwich". Retrieved 22 November 2009. 
  2. Dod, Robert P. (1857). The Parliamentary Companion. London: Whitaker and Co. p. 178. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Norwich Historic Church Trust - Samuel Bignold 1791-1875". Retrieved 22 November 2009. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Dod, Robert P. (1860). The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Whitaker and Co. p. 118. 
  5. M. G. Wiebe, Mary S. Millar, John Alexander Wilson Gunn, ed. (2004). Benjamin Disraeli Letters: 1857-1859 (2nd ed.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press Inc. p. 32. ISBN 0-8020-8728-0. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 Walford, Edward (1860). The County Families of the United Kingdom. London: Robert Hardwicke. p. 53. 

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Edward Warner
Samuel Morton Peto
Member of Parliament for Norwich
1854 – 1857
With: Edward Warner
Succeeded by
Henry William Schneider
Viscount Bury
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