William Jacob (MP, died 1851) facts for kids
William Jacob (born around 1761 – died 1851) was an important English person who did many things! He was a merchant, which means he traded goods. He owned ships and was also a scientist. He even worked in the government as a Member of Parliament. Later in his life, he worked hard to change laws about grain, called the Corn Laws, to make trade fairer.
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William Jacob's Early Life and Career
Growing Up and Learning
We don't know much about William Jacob's very early life. But we do know he got a good education. He was very interested in numbers and facts, especially about populations and economies, which we call statistics. Because of his scientific interests, he became a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists.
In 1791, he married Martha Stuckey. Her father, Samuel Stuckey, was a rich banker from a town called Langport in Somerset.
A Merchant and Politician
For many years, from the 1790s to about 1810, William Jacob and his brother John ran a business in London. They were linen merchants, selling fabrics and other goods.
In 1806, William Jacob was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Westbury. He was part of the Tory political party. Later, he was elected MP for Rye from 1808 to 1811.
During 1806 and 1807, Britain tried to take control of the Rio de Plata region in South America. This was a time when Spain's control over its American colonies was weak. William Jacob was a key person who encouraged Britain to try and expand its trade there. He even helped pass a law that reduced the power of the South Sea Company, which had a monopoly on trade in that area.
Challenges in Trade
William Jacob's company, J&W Jacob, planned big trading trips to South America. In 1807, they looked for investors to send three ships to the Pacific coast. The ships were named Hero, Pandour, and Memphis. These ships were officially registered as whaling vessels, but their main goal was to trade British fabrics for silver, gold, or copper.
However, these three ships were captured off the coast of Lima. This led to a difficult time for William Jacob, and by 1811, his business faced serious financial problems.
Life After London
After his business challenges, William Jacob left London. He moved to Chesham Lodge in Surrey and became a farmer.
Later, he was given an important job as the "comptroller of corn returns" for the Board of Trade. This meant he was in charge of keeping track of how much grain was being produced and sold. He retired from this job in 1841.
William Jacob passed away at his home in London on December 17, 1851. He was 89 years old. He had a son named Edward Jacob, who was a lawyer and writer, but his son passed away before him. People who knew William Jacob said he was a very respected businessman who helped open up trade with South America.