Henry Padwick (1805–1879) was an English solicitor and figure of the horse racing world, known also as a moneylender, gambler and speculator.

Life

He was the son of William Padwick (died 1834) of Cosham House, Hampshire. He retired from the legal profession in 1855. He became a magistrate in Middlesex and Deputy-Keeper of

Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly known as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood has s ...

. As a solicitor in Horsham, Padwick was involved as electoral agent to

William Vesey-FitzGerald Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey-FitzGerald, GCSI, GCIE, PC (1818 – 28 June 1885), was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator. He served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1858 and 1859 and as Governor ...

in canvassing, the subject of an electoral corruption case for an 1848 by-election for

Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

. In the 1857 general election Padwick stood unsuccessfully as a Conservative candidate at

Bridgwater Bridgwater is a historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. The town had a population of 41,276 at the 2021 census. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies along both sid ...

Racing

Padwick employed the trainer John Barham Day from 1845 to 1855, when he was sacked after a scandal involving the Two Thousand Guineas. From 1849 Padwick used "Mr. Howard" as his ''nom de course''. In 1854 he won £80,000 on his horse

Virago A virago is a woman who demonstrates abundant masculine virtues. The word comes from the Latin word ''virāgō'' (genitive virāginis) meaning "vigorous maiden" from ''vir'' meaning "man" or "man-like" (cf. virile and virtue) to which the suffi ...

, losing the sum in stock market speculation. In 1854, also, Padwick was co-owner with

John Gully John Gully (21 August 1783 – 9 March 1863) was an English champion prizefighter who became a racehorse owner and, from 1832 to 1837, a Member of Parliament. Early life Gully was born at Wick, near Bath, the son of an innkeeper who beca ...

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...

, winner of the

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

. In the aftermath of the 1855 departure from the United Kingdom of the Member of Parliament Francis Child Villiers, known as Frank, Padwick became involved in trying to clear up his heavy unpaid betting debts. To this end he was an adviser to

George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, GCH, PC (19 August 1773 – 3 October 1859), previously George Villiers and styled Viscount Villiers until 1805, was a British courtier and Conservative politician from the Villiers family. He adde ...

, Frank's father, and worked with

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

. In the 1868 Derby, won by

Blue Gown Blue Gown (1865 – November 25, 1880) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse that was the winner of the 1868 Epsom Derby and Ascot Gold Cup. He was one of the best colts of his generation at two, three years and four of age, but his form decl ...

, after the favourite Lady Elizabeth owned by the 4th Marquess of Hastings performed badly, Padwick and the bookmaker Harry Hill were implicated in the scratching from the race of the Marquess's other horse, The Earl. The Marquess owed Padwick money.

Family

Padwick married in 1825 Susan Chasemore, daughter of Philip Chasemore of

. They had one son, Henry.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Padwick, Henry 1805 births 1879 deaths English solicitors 19th-century English lawyers