George Hibbert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Hibbert
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George Hibbert by Thomas Lawrence, 1811
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| Born | 13 January 1757 |
| Died | 8 October 1837 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Merchant and politician |
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Notable work
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Helped to found the Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
George Hibbert (born January 13, 1757 – died October 8, 1837) was an important English businessman, politician, and ship owner. He was also a keen botanist (someone who studies plants) and a collector of rare books. George Hibbert helped start the West India Dock Company, which built the West India Docks in London around 1800. He also played a key role in creating the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1824, which saves lives at sea.
Contents
Early Life and Business
George Hibbert came from a family that became wealthy from sugar plantations in the West Indies. His uncle, Thomas Hibbert, owned large estates in Jamaica. Another uncle, John, also lived there.
George was born in Manchester. His parents were Robert Hibbert and Abigail Hibbert. Around 1780, he moved to London. There, he joined a trading company called Hibbert, Purrier and Horton. This company dealt with goods from the West Indies.
He eventually became the head of this company. By 1800, it was known as the most important firm in the Jamaican trade. People respected him for his good sense and wise decisions.
A Career in Politics and Business
George Hibbert was an Alderman of London from 1798 to 1803. This was an important local government role. He was also the first chairman of the West India Dock Company. This company built the West India Docks between 1800 and 1802. These docks were very important for trade.
From 1806 to 1812, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Seaford. In 1812, he became the official representative for Jamaica, a job he held until 1831.
In 1784, George Hibbert married Elizabeth Margaret Fonnereau. They had five sons and nine daughters. The family lived in London and later at Munden House near Watford. George Hibbert passed away at Munden in 1837. He was buried in Aldenham.
His portrait was painted by famous artists like Sir Thomas Lawrence and John Hoppner.
Debates on Trade and Labor
George Hibbert's family business was deeply involved in shipping goods, especially sugar, from Jamaica. These goods were produced using enslaved labor. Because of this, Hibbert became a leading voice for merchants who supported this system. He was the chairman of the Society of West India Merchants.
When William Wilberforce first spoke in Parliament about ending the Atlantic slave trade in 1789, Hibbert argued against it. He gave a long speech, saying that ending the trade would harm the economy. He told a committee in 1790 that ending the trade would ruin businesses in the West Indies. He explained that his company imported goods worth a lot of money each year.
As an MP, he continued to oppose the bill to abolish the slave trade. He believed it would hurt English factories and cause people to lose their jobs. He gave several speeches in Parliament about this in 1807.
When slavery was eventually ended in the Caribbean, the Hibbert family received a large amount of money as compensation. George Hibbert himself received about £16,000.
A Passion for Plants
Because his family had plantations in Jamaica, George Hibbert became very interested in gardening and botany. He was a respected botanist and a lover of books. He helped found the London Institution in 1805. He also became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1811. He was a member of other important societies too, like the Linnean Society.
Hibbert had a very large collection of plants in his garden, especially heaths and Banksias. His flower garden was considered one of the best around London.
He also paid for plant-collecting trips. For example, he sent James Niven to South Africa in 1798. Niven stayed for five years, sending back many new plants, including five new types of proteas, which were Hibbert's favorite. One plant, Nivenia corymbosa, was grown from seeds Niven sent back. Another of Hibbert's gardeners, James Main, traveled to China to collect plants for him.
The plant genus Hibbertia is named after George Hibbert. He was also one of the first people to grow Hostas in Europe.
Collecting Rare Books
George Hibbert lived in London for many years. He had homes in Portland Place and Clapham. At his Clapham home, he built up a huge collection of books. This collection included very rare items, such as a Gutenberg Bible and a 1459 Psalter.
When he moved from London in 1829, his amazing book collection was sold at auction. It brought in a huge sum of £23,000, which was a princely amount of money back then.
The Hibbert Gate
The Hibbert Gate is located at the western end of the West India Docks. It is a copy of the original gate that stood there. The first gate, built in 1803, was called the "Main Gate." But it became known as the "Hibbert Gate" because of a model of a ship on top of it. This ship model was of the Hibbert, a ship that George Hibbert had owned.
The original gate was wide enough for carts and wagons to enter the docks. It became a symbol of the West India Docks. The gate was taken down in 1932 because it was too narrow for modern traffic.
Helping to Save Lives at Sea
As a ship owner and chairman of the West Indies Merchants, George Hibbert worked with other important people like Sir William Hillary. Together, they helped create the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck. This organization is now much better known as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). It was founded on March 4, 1824.
Letters show how much Hibbert helped the RNLI. He would sometimes donate his own money to help people affected by shipwrecks. For example, in 1825, he gave £200 to help people who had been harmed.
His letters also show his involvement in the RNLI's early decisions. In 1829, he agreed to give an award to a Mr. J. M. Wright. Mr. Wright had saved fourteen people's lives. Hibbert wrote that he had "no better applicant" for the award. This payment rewarded Mr. Wright for his brave actions and helped him replace equipment he lost at sea. The RNLI still recognizes George Hibbert's important role in starting the organization.
