Sir Gabriel Goldney, 1st Baronet

Sir Gabriel Goldney, 1st Baronet (25 July 1813 – 8 May 1900)^[1] was a Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885. He was created a baronet in May 1880.

The Goldney family, from Bristol, became clothiers in Chippenham in the sixteenth century and were long afterwards associated with Wiltshire, and particularly the town.^[2] An ancestor, Henry Goldney, had also been a member of parliament for Chippenham and was in 1553 appointed the first "Bayliff" of Chippenham.^[3] A 17th-century ancestor, also named Gabriel, left bequests in his will to provide "greatcoats for six poor inhabitants".^[3]

Goldney was born on 25 July and baptised at Chippenham on 3 December 1813.^[4] His father was Harry Goldney (1774–1852) and his mother Elizabeth (née Reade, c. 1789–1863).^[5] He was educated at Christ's Hospital (of which he later became a governor) from 1820 to 1828.^[6]

Goldney married Mary Anne Alexander in Corsham on 16 September 1839,^[4] and they had four children: Mary Catherine Goldney (14 October 1841 – 4 August 1854), Gabriel Prior Goldney (b. 4 August 1843), Frederick Hastings Goldney (b. 26 May 1845), and John Tankerville Goldney (b. 15 June 1846).^[7]

Goldney became a landowner, financier and banker. In 1854 he bought Sheldon Manor^[8] and in 1856, land in Hilmarton.^[9] His investments extended outside Wiltshire to Camberley in Surrey, as in 1860 he advanced money to develop a silk farm at Heatherside; however, the venture failed, Goldney foreclosed on his investment and took possession of the land, part of which later became Prior Park, Camberley, the residence of his two elder sons.^[10]

In 1863 he bought land at Bradenstoke Abbey from Frederick Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen,^[11] and the following year, bought Stanley Abbey from John Bayntun Starkey.^[12] By 1888 he also owned land at Monks Park, Corsham, which he leased for quarrying.^[13]

He was first elected to parliament as Conservative Member of Parliament for Chippenham, Wiltshire, England on 11 July 1865 and made his maiden speech on 20 April 1866.^[14] By this time, he was a Director of the North Wilts Bank.^[15] In this capacity, he was persuaded by railway engineer Roland Brotherhood to relax the bank's conditions on his overdraft in return for help in getting Goldney re-elected in the forthcoming election; Goldney, having been re-elected, then advised the bank that the conditions could be relaxed. However, shortly after this, in 1869, the bank changed its mind, and Brotherhood's enterprise failed;^[15] Brotherhood blamed Goldney for this.^[16] Goldney was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire on 22 February 1869.^[17][18]

The position of Bailiff of Chippenham passed down to Goldney; he was also a Freemason, holding the office of Grand Warden of England.^[3] He was created Baronet Goldney of Beechfield in the parish of Corsham, and Bradenstoke Abbey in the parish of Lyneham on 30 April 1880.^[19]

He died at Eaton Place, Belgravia, London on 8 May 1900,^[20] and the baronetcy passed to his first son, Gabriel Prior Goldney.

Goldney is commemorated in stained-glass windows of Chippenham parish church,^[21] The Foundling Hospital, London^[22] and in the name of Goldney Avenue, Chippenham.^[23]

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sir Gabriel Goldney
• Goldney papers, University of Bristol Library Special Collections