Samuel Bignold

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][7] 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.
  7. Rosa, one of his daughters, married Edward Henry Bickersteth.

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