Peter eThellusson (27 June 1735 — 21 July 1797) was a

Genevan Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

businessman and banker who settled in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and became a British subject in 1762. He amassed a fortune through commerce and, when he died in 1797, he owned more than 4,000 acres of land in England. His descendants built the new

Brodsworth Hall Brodsworth Hall, near Brodsworth, north-west of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, is one of the most complete surviving examples of a Victorian country house in England. It is virtually unchanged since the 1860s. It was designed in the Italiana ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...

, which is maintained since 1988 by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

Early life

Thellusson was a member of a

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

family which had fled France for Geneva in the 16th century.John Debrett, ''Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland'' 1820:1282-84 He was a son of

Isaac de Thellusson Isaac de Thellusson (14 October 1690 – 2 September 1755) was a Genevan diplomat and banker. Early life Thellusson was born on 14 October 1690 in Geneva into a Huguenot family which had fled France for Geneva in the 16th century. His parents wer ...

(1690–1755) and Sarah (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

le Boullenger) Thellusson (1700–1770). His father had started a bank in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

with a branch in Geneva (Thellusson, Necker et Cie) and became the Genevan ambassador to Paris. The french-genevan Banker Georges-Tobie de Thellusson (1728-1776) was Peter Thellessons older brother.

Career

Peter, with the help of his brother George-Tobie, managed the successful bank in partnership with

Jacques Necker Jacques Necker (; 30 September 1732 – 9 April 1804) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan banker and statesman who served as List of Finance Ministers of France, finance minister for Louis XVI of France, Louis XVI. He was a reformer, but his innov ...

, the Thellussons managing the London branch of the bank from 1760 with Necker managing the Paris branch. Both partners became very rich by loans to the treasury and speculation in grain. Peter started his own finance house in

Philpot Lane Philpot Lane is a short street in London, United Kingdom, running from Eastcheap in the south to Fenchurch Street in the north. It is named after Sir John Philpot, Lord Mayor of London from 1378 to 1379. It is the site of London's smallest pu ...

and in 1761 took British nationality by Act of Parliament. He was also involved in other businesses, becoming a director of the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the Kingdom of England, English Government's banker and debt manager, and still one ...

, part owner of several sugar refineries, and an importer of tobacco and sugar from the West Indies. This role saw him provide loans to slave ship and plantation owners. As these slave owners defaulted on debts, Thellusson amassed interests in Caribbean plantations. The Thellussons continued to own slaves in

Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...

and

Montserrat Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...

until 1820. Thellusson built a large house for himself 'Plaistow Lodge' at

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

in Kent (Now Bromley Parish CofE Primary School) and in 1790 bought the Brodsworth estate in South Yorkshire.The existing Victorian building was erected in 1861 for Charles Sabine Thellusson, but the original estate was constructed in 1791 for Peter Thellusson. House and gardens now belonging to English Heritage.

Personal life

On 6 January 1760 he married Ann Woodford (1740–1805), daughter of Matthew Woodford and sister of Sir Ralph Woodford of

Carlby Carlby is a small village and civil parish in the district of South Kesteven in Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 542. It is located four miles south of Bourne on the A6121 road near the Lincoln ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

. They were the parents of: *

Peter Isaac Thellusson, 1st Baron Rendlesham Peter Isaac Thellusson, 1st Baron Rendlesham (13 October 1761 – 16 September 1808), was a British merchant, banker and politician. Early life Thelluson was born on 13 October 1761. He was the eldest son of Peter Thellusson, a wealthy London me ...

(1761–1808), who married Elizabeth Eleanor Cornwall, a daughter of John Cornwall, in 1783. *

George Woodford Thellusson George Woodford Thellusson (2 March 1764 – 30 December 1811), was a British merchant, banker and politician. Early life Thelluson was born on 2 March 1764. He was the second son of Peter Thellusson, a wealthy London merchant, and his wife Ann W ...

(1764–1811), who married Mary Anne Fonnereau, a daughter of Philip Fonnereau, MP for

Aldeburgh Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the English county, county of Suffolk, England, north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the comp ...

, and Mary ( Parker) Fonnereau (a daughter of

Armstead Parker Armstead Parker (c.1699–1777) of Burghberry Manor, Peterborough, Northamptonshire was a British Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1734 and 1768. Parker was the only son of Charles Parker MP for Peterborough, and his wif ...

, MP for

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

), in 1790. * Maria Thellusson (1766–?), who married Hon. Augustus Phipps, son of

Constantine Phipps, 1st Baron Mulgrave Constantine Phipps, 1st Baron Mulgrave (22 August 1722 (baptised) – 13 September 1775) was an Irish peer. In 1767 he was created Baron Mulgrave, of New Ross in the County of Wexford, in the Peerage of Ireland. Family Constantine Phipps, 1st ...

, and Hon. Lepell Hervey (daughter of

John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, (13 October 16965 August 1743) was an English courtier and political writer. Heir to the Earl of Bristol, he obtained the key patronage of Walpole, and was involved in many court intrigues and literary quarrel ...

). * Augusta Charlotte Thellusson (1768–?), who married

Thomas Champion Crespigny Thomas Champion de Crespigny ( – 2 August 1799) was a British lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1790 and 1796. Early life He was the second son of Philip Champion de Crespigny and, his first wife, Sarah Cocksedge, a ...

, son of Philip Champion de Crespigny, in 1798. After his death, she married Sir Joseph Whatley in 1827. *

Charles Thellusson Charles Thellusson (2 February 1770 – 2 November 1815), was a British merchant, banker and politician. Early life Charles Thellusson was born on 2 February 1770. He was the third son of Peter Thellusson, a wealthy London merchant, and his wife A ...

(1770–1815)), who married Sabine Robarts, daughter of Abraham Robarts, MP for

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

, in 1795. * Anne Thellusson (1774–1849), who married

Vice-Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...

William Lukin Vice-Admiral William Lukin, later William Lukin Windham (20 September 1768 – 12 January 1833), was a Royal Navy officer who rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and served with great distinction through the Napoleonic Wars. Eventually he inherite ...

, son of Very Rev. George William Lukin, in 1801.

Thellusson Act

After his death his substantial estate was embroiled in the Thellusson Will Case, as he had written an unusual will whereby his fortune and estates were put into a trust fund for the benefit of future generations at the expense of his children and grandchildren. The two ultimate beneficiaries, decided by the courts after protracted legal wrangling, were the grandchildren of his eldest son Peter Isaac Thelluson, who was created

Baron Rendlesham Baron Rendlesham, of Rendlesham, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1806 for the businessman Peter Thellusson, 1st Baron Rendlesham, Peter Thellusson, who also represented Midhurst (UK Parliament constituency), Midhurst, Malme ...

in 1806 and one of his other sons, Charles. It is believed that the Thellusson Will case provided the basis for the fictional case of

Jarndyce and Jarndyce ''Jarndyce and Jarndyce'' (or ''Jarndyce v Jarndyce'') is a fictional probate case in ''Bleak House'' (1852–53) by Charles Dickens, progressing in the English Court of Chancery. The case is a central plot device in the novel and has become a ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

' novel ''

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode Serial (literature), serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853. The novel has many characters and several subplots, and is told partly by th ...

''. Thelluson may also be the inspiration for the Tellsons Bank mentioned in Dickens' ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

''. As a result of the case, legislation, commonly known as the Thellusson Act, was passed to prevent a recurrence of such problems in the future.

References

External links

ESTATE RECORDS OF THE THELLUSSONS, BARONS RENDLESHAM
at

The National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thellusson, Peter Bankers from the Republic of Geneva Immigrants to the Kingdom of Great Britain 1735 births 1797 deaths 18th-century British businesspeople British slave owners British planters