Harvey Christian Combe facts for kids
Harvey Christian Combe (born in 1752, died in 1818) was an important English politician. He was part of a political group called the Whigs. He was the oldest son of Harvey Combe, a lawyer from Andover, England. He even became the Lord Mayor of London in 1799.
Life and Career
Harvey Christian Combe was born in Andover, Hampshire. His father, also named Harvey Combe, was a rich lawyer.
After inheriting money, Harvey moved to London. He first worked as a corn merchant, selling grains, then joined a brewery. He married his cousin, Alice Christian Tree. When her father passed away, Harvey inherited more money. He then started his own successful brewery, "Combe Delafield and Co.", with his brother-in-law. People knew his brewery for making excellent beer.
Harvey became an Alderman in London in 1790. An Alderman is a senior member of a city council. He was also chosen as the Sheriff of London from 1791 to 1792. In 1796, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the City of London. This meant he represented London in the British Parliament.
In 1799, Harvey Combe became the Lord Mayor of London. This was a very important job. One of his most famous duties as Lord Mayor was hosting a special dinner for Horatio Nelson, a famous British naval hero. At this dinner, Combe gave Nelson a fancy sword.
Harvey Combe was in the House of Commons (part of the British Parliament) when the Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, was assassinated in 1812. Harvey, who was also a judge, helped to quickly set up a court. They gathered statements from witnesses and ordered searches to find out more about the person who committed the crime.
He served as a Member of Parliament for 21 years. He left Parliament in 1817. He became ill in May 1817 and passed away at Cobham Park in Surrey on July 4, 1818, at 66 years old.
His son later took over the brewery. It eventually joined with other companies to become Watney Combe & Reid, a very large brewing company.
Family Life
Harvey Christian Combe married his cousin, Alice Christian Tree. They had four sons and six daughters. By 1806, he was very rich because of his successful brewing business.
In 1806, he bought Cobham Park in Surrey. He made Cobham Park into a large country house and estate. After he died, the estate went to his son, Harvey Combe, junior. The Combe family still owns the estate today.
Other Important Roles
- Lieutenant Colonel of the West London Militia (a type of local army) from 1794 to 1796
- Captain of the Aldgate Volunteers (a local defense group) in 1798
- Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers (a group for brewers) from 1804 to 1805
- Director of the Globe Insurance Co (an insurance company) from 1805 to 1817
- Governor of the Irish Society of London (a group supporting Ireland) from 1806 to 1817
- Director of the West India Docks (a major port area) from 1811 to 1817
- Warden of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers (a group for fish sellers) from 1812 to 1814
Images for kids
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Combe's tomb at the Parish Church of St Andrew, Cobham.
