Thomson Hankey (15 June 1805 [1] – 13 January 1893) [2] 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. [3] He became a merchant in the City of London and a director the Bank of England, [3] serving first as its Deputy Governor [4] and then as its Governor from 1851 to 1853. [5] In June 2020 the Bank of England issued a public apology for the involvement of Hankey, amongst other employees, in the slave trade following the investigation by the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership at UCL. [6]
At the 1852 general election, Hankey unsuccessfully contested the borough of Boston in Lincolnshire. [7] 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. [8] 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 [2] 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. [9]
Hankey was re-elected in 1857, [10] 1859 [11] and 1865, [12] but was defeated at the 1868 general election by the Liberal William Wells. [8] He was re-elected in 1874, [13] but was defeated in 1880. [8] His name was discussed in early 1882 as a possible candidate for any future vacancy in Peterborough, [14] but when Hampden Whalley resigned in June 1883, Hankey did not contest the resulting by-election, [8] and did not stand again thereafter. [15]
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. [15]
He died on 13 January 1893, aged 88. [15] In his later years, his advanced age prevented him from taking any active part in public life. [15]
Thomson Hankey (15 June 1805 [1] – 13 January 1893) [2] 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. [3] He became a merchant in the City of London and a director the Bank of England, [3] serving first as its Deputy Governor [4] and then as its Governor from 1851 to 1853. [5] In June 2020 the Bank of England issued a public apology for the involvement of Hankey, amongst other employees, in the slave trade following the investigation by the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership at UCL. [6]
At the 1852 general election, Hankey unsuccessfully contested the borough of Boston in Lincolnshire. [7] 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. [8] 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 [2] 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. [9]
Hankey was re-elected in 1857, [10] 1859 [11] and 1865, [12] but was defeated at the 1868 general election by the Liberal William Wells. [8] He was re-elected in 1874, [13] but was defeated in 1880. [8] His name was discussed in early 1882 as a possible candidate for any future vacancy in Peterborough, [14] but when Hampden Whalley resigned in June 1883, Hankey did not contest the resulting by-election, [8] and did not stand again thereafter. [15]
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. [15]
He died on 13 January 1893, aged 88. [15] In his later years, his advanced age prevented him from taking any active part in public life. [15]