Samuel Sandbach facts for kids

Samuel Sandbach (born 1769 – died April 26, 1851) was an important person in Liverpool, England. He held several public roles, including bailiff (a law officer), coroner (an official who investigates deaths), and even Mayor of Liverpool. He was also a High Sheriff of Denbighshire in Wales and a Justice of the Peace (a judge for minor crimes) in Lancashire.

Sandbach became wealthy as a merchant, which means he bought and sold goods. His business traded with the West Indies, and his company was involved in the historical practice of owning enslaved people.

Early Life and Business Career

Samuel Sandbach was born in 1769 in Tarporley, Cheshire, England. His father, Adam, was an innkeeper and farmer.

In 1788, when Samuel was about 19, he left England. He went to Grenada to join his uncle, who was also named Samuel Sandbach. His uncle had been living and trading there for many years.

Around 1792, Samuel started working as a clerk (an office worker) for a trading company. The partners in the company were very impressed with young Samuel. They soon invited him to become a partner himself.

Growing the Business

Later, the company's trade and income started to slow down. Two of the partners, George Robertson and Charles Stuart Parker, decided to focus on developing their existing large farms, called plantations, in Demerara.

Parker returned to Britain after two years. Sandbach and another partner, McInroy, continued to manage the trading side of the business. In 1801, they started a new company in Demerara called McInroy, Sandbach & Co.

Robertson passed away in 1799. Soon after, Parker, Sandbach, and McInroy all returned to Britain. They then set up another company, McInroy, Parker & Co., in Glasgow. Sandbach then moved to Liverpool to open another branch of their growing business.

Family and New Partners

In 1802, Samuel Sandbach married Elizabeth Robertson. She was a niece of George Robertson, one of his former business partners.

In 1813, a wealthy Dutch businessman named Philip Frederick Tinne joined the Liverpool company as a full partner. The company became known as Sandbach, Tinne & Co.. People sometimes called them the "Rothschilds of Demerara" because they were so powerful in trade.

Samuel Sandbach remained a partner in these related companies until November 1833. At that time, two of his sons took over his share of the business.

Trade and Slavery

The company grew to own both ships and plantations. They exported goods like coffee, molasses, rum, and sugar from the West Indies to British ports like Liverpool and Glasgow.

Historically, their business was deeply involved in the ownership of enslaved people. This continued until slavery was abolished in most parts of the British Empire. After the 1830s, the company became major transporters of indentured labour, which was another form of labor where people worked for a set period to pay off a debt.

Under the Slave Compensation Act 1837, Samuel Sandbach received over £35,000 in compensation. This money was given to former slave owners after slavery was abolished. He received it for the freedom of over 500 enslaved people on two estates he partly owned.

Sandbach was also one of the owners of the Herculaneum Pottery in Toxteth, Liverpool, for some time. This was a factory that made pottery.

Public Life and Roles

Samuel Sandbach was elected to the Liverpool council in December 1827. He became a Bailiff in October 1828. A Bailiff is an officer of the court who helps keep order and carries out legal duties.

He then served as the Mayor of Liverpool for the year 1831–32. The Mayor is the head of the city government.

In 1838, he became the High Sheriff of Denbighshire in Wales. This is an old and important ceremonial role, often linked to law and order in a county. At this time, his home was listed as Hafodunos in Abergele, Wales. He had bought the Hafodunos estate in 1830.

By the mid-1840s, Sandbach was the deputy chairman of the Bank of Liverpool. He also supported a new company that aimed to help landowners improve their properties by draining wet land.

Family and Estates

Samuel and Elizabeth Sandbach had several children. One of their sons, Henry Robertson Sandbach, married Margaret Roscoe. She was the granddaughter of a famous person named William Roscoe.

Samuel Sandbach built a large house in Liverpool. It was located in either St Anne Street or Mansfield Street. This house later became the home of Thomas Colley Porter, who also became Mayor of Liverpool.

By 1832, Sandbach was living at a place called Woodlands in Aigburth, near Liverpool. He passed away there on April 26, 1851. Besides his Welsh estate at Hafodunos, Sandbach also bought land around Calveley Hall and the Handley area of Cheshire.

See also

• Antoinette Sandbach