Family and Education

b. 19 June 1766, 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Benjamin Boddington, merchant, of Mark Lane, London and Enfield, Mdx. by 1st w. Sarah, da. of Samuel Richards, merchant, of London. educ. privately by Mr Morgan. m. 24 Feb. 1792, Grace (div. 1797), da. of William Ashburner of Madras, 2s. d.v.p. 1da. suc. fa. 1791.

Offices Held

Dir. London Dock Co. 1803.

Biography

Boddington was left a fortune by his father, a West India merchant and director of the South Sea Company. In 1797 Boddington Co. had a turnover of something like half a million a year, Boddington receiving five-ninths of the profits and his partner and cousin Benjamin the rest. That year his wife eloped with his partner. He was awarded £10,000 damages, divorced his wife and ruined her lover. In his will, 14 Feb. 1838, he stated: ‘I have been for many years past concerned in the trade or business of a merchant in co-partnership under several different firms, and I am now carrying on the same trade ... with my ... nephew and Richard Davis of St. Helen’s Place’.1 For many years from 1802 his partner was Richard Sharp*, and from 1812 he was also associated with George Philips*.

Boddington’s membership of the King of Clubs (of which he became chairman from 1808 to 1819)2 led to his entertaining prominent Whigs, and when they came to power in 1806 he sought a seat in Parliament. There was some idea of his standing for Rochester, but Tierney informed Lord Holland in October:

Boddington is gone to fight a battle at Milborne Port which he prefers to paying his £4,000 quietly and fancies it will be a great deal cheaper. It may be so and I hope it will, but it will not surprise me if he spends his money and gets no seat in Parliament.3

So it proved, for Boddington and his second string failed to overthrow Lord Uxbridge’s interest. In January 1807 he purchased a vacancy at Tralee, of which the Treasury had the disposal. He gave a silent support to his friends in office and was reported to have voted against their successors, 9 Apr. 1807. He did not obtain a seat again. He died 19 Apr. 1843, having personalty valued at £350,000. His will mentioned West Indian estates of which he was proprietor or mortgagee. His Whig associations were reinforced by the marriage of his daughter to Lady Holland’s younger son in 1824, though he at first resisted the match.4 His memorial at Enfield recorded: ‘Through a long period of political changes he was a steady supporter of civil and religious liberty’.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: Arthur Aspinall

Notes

• 1. The Times, 10 Sept. 1797; LJ, xli. 517, 539, 545, 608; PCC 1843, f. 380.
• 2. Add. 37377, passim.
• 3. Fortescue mss, Nicholson to Grenville, 28 Oct.; Add. 51585, Tierney to Holland [Oct. 1806].
• 4. Lady Holland to her Son, 22, 30. For Boddington’s diary from 1815 to 1843, Guildhall Lib. mss 10823/5c.