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Thomson Hankey (1773-1855)

 

Thomson, second son of John Hankey and Elizabeth nee Thomson, was born on 13 Feb 1773 at his father’s house at 7 Mincing Lane, and was baptised on 4 Mar at St Dunstan in the East.

A career in India had been planned for him, and in April 1792 Thomson Hankey completed a course in Merchants Accounts at Eaton & Boutflower’s Academy in Tower Street. On 1 Aug 1792 he became a writer in the Madras Civil Service, having probably already arrived in India, and four weeks later, on 29 Aug 1792, his father John Hankey died. In 1793 Thomson was Assistant under the Resident at Salem; he returned to England in 1794 and arrived back in India on 2 Sep 1795, becoming Deputy Commercial Resident at Salem. He resigned on 28 Mar 1800 in India.

He may have been the Captain Thomas [sic] Hankey who paraded with 56 infantrymen from Putney, when the King reviewed the Yeoman Cavalry and Infantry of the County of Surrey on Wimbledon Common on 4 Jul 1799.

Thomson Hankey, then of Broad Street, married Martha Harrison (1779-1862), on 2 Jun 1801 at St Benet, Paul’s Wharf. Many of his children, five sons and eight daughters, were born at his house at Love Lane, Dalston:

Thomson Hankey’s wife Martha Harrison was a daughter of Benjamin Harrison of Clapham Common, who was a Virginia merchant at the time of the Boston Tea Party, and ran his business from Arundel Street. He was treasurer of Guy’s Hospital.

Thomson Hankey later lived at 45 Portland Place before moving to Brunswick Square, Brighton. From 1828 to 1854 he owned the manorial rights of the manor of Creekmouth, near the Thames at Dagenham. He became the lessee of Frindsbury Manor, near Rochester, by assignment of a lease as security for £14,000 with interest payable 9 July 1824 but not paid.

His elder brother John Peter having died in 1807, Thomson Hankey then became senior partner of Simond & Hankey of 7 Mincing Lane; it was on 1 Jul 1826 that Simond & Hankey became known as Thomson Hankey & Co, and the firm has retained the name ever since, with the addition of Limited in 1947, when it became a limited company. A plantation owner, Thomson Hankey had an interest eventually amounting to 5/8ths in ‘an estate formerly consisting of three several estates called Grand Bras, Saint Cloud and Chantilly, now united as Grand Bras Estates’ in Grenada (having bought 1/8th from each of the late Marquess of Lansdown; Sir Thomas Charles Bunbury Bt (1740-1821); the executors of Robert Orme; and his three nephews (heirs of John Peter Hankey).

Thomson died on 26 Oct 1855 at Brighton and was buried on 1 Nov at Kensal Green in a family vault which he had purchased in 1848 (catacomb B, vault 119); his will was proved on 20 Nov 1855 at London. Two of his infant children were removed from Hackney to Kensal Green under a faculty dated 28 Dec 1855.

Martha died on 4 Jan 1862 at 45 Portland Place and was buried on 10 Jan at Kensal Green.