Robert John Harvey Harvey Bt (1817 - 1870)

Born 16 Apr 1817 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Henrietta Augusta (Lambart) Harvey — married 11 Aug 1845 in England

Descendants

Died 19 Jul 1870 at age 53 in Trowse, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Robert Harvey Bt is Notable.

Robert Harvey Bt was born in Norfolk, England.

Robert John Harvey Harvey, 1st Bt, of Crown Point, Trowse, Norfolk, was a Conservative politician and MP for Thetford, senior partner of the Harvey and Hudson Bank (Norwich Crown Bank), and landowner during the reign of Queen Victoria, who speculated on the stock exchange, and attempted to cover up his losses by fraud.

Birth and Parentage

Baptismal record for Robert John Harvey Harvey[1]

Robert John Harvey Harvey was born on 16 April 1817. He was the eldest son of Sir Robert John Harvey of Mousehold House^[2] in Norwich, and Charlotte Mary Harvey, (daughter of Robert Harvey), and great grandson of Robert Harvey (1730-1816), the founder of the Harvey and Hudson Bank in 1792. ^[3]He was baptised at St Andrew, Thorpe-next-Norwich on 29 May 1817.^[4] The double Harvey name is no error, but an acknowledgement of both his mother's as well as his father's surname.

When he was 30, in about 1845, he had thick black hair, rather long and wavy, parted on the left, brown eyes, and slight, black side whiskers.^[5]

Marriage and Family

On 7 August 1845, he married Lady Henrietta Augusta Lambart, of Eaglehurst House, Hampshire, the daughter of George Lambart and Sarah Coppin.^[6]

They had three daughters and three sons.

1. Henrietta Julia Harvey ^[7]
2. Robert Lambart Sutton Harvey ^[8]
3. Charles Harvey ^[9]
4. Lambart Edward Harvey ^[10]
5. Ida Harvey^[11]
6. Alicia Menella Harvey ^[12]

Life

Crown Point Hall [13]

He became senior partner in the family bank, the Harvey and Hudson Bank (Norwich Crown Bank), founded by his great grandfather in 1792 (Robert Harvey 1730-1816) which had been carried on by run by different family members since then. In its heyday, the bank had about 25 branches throughout the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk with probably more than 3000 depositors. During the 1860s, as senior partner, Robert John had complete oversight, allowing himself a lavish and extravagant lifestyle while rebuilding the family mansion, Crown Point Hall, in around 1865. ^[14]

In 1851, he was living with his wife, four young children and six servants at his home in Lakenham, Norfolk.^[15]

[16]

In 1862, as Norfolk High Sheriff, he indulged himself with spectacular fetes, military tattoos, agricultural shows and banquets at Crown Point, which demonstrated more than a little ostentation and pretensions to grandeur.

Great Volunteer Review[17]

Great Fete at Crown Point[18]

The need for a solution to the problem of sewage pollution in the R. Wensum became urgent in the 1860s.

So long ago as 1862, complaints were made of the impurity of the river in consequence of all the sewage of the city and of all the water closets being poured into the stream. In 1863, many inhabitants of Thorpe became urgent in their demands that some immediate p. 447steps should be taken to divert the sewage from the river, but this was more easily asked than done. The Board of Health, however, requested their then surveyor (Mr. Barry) to report on the subject; and subsequently Mr. Bazalgette visited Norwich and surveyed the stream. In the autumn of 1865 Mr. Bazalgette’s report was received. It recommended a plan of conveying the sewage through main drains to Crown Point to irrigate the land there. The board discussed the report and appointed a sewerage committee, who entered into negotiations with R. J. H. Harvey, Esq., M.P., for irrigating part of his estate at Crown Point. Mr. Harvey was to pay the cost of preparing the land for irrigation, and the annual cost of pumping; but after a preliminary notice had been given of the intention of the board to apply for an act of parliament, the board determined not to proceed at that time with the application for the act.^[19]

By 1865 he was MP for Thetford, and owned St Mary's House, Bury Rd, Thetford, Crown Point, Trowse Newton, Norfolk,^[20] and Brundall House, Norwich. The Harvey and Hudson Bank, with the euphemism 'Treasurers' (Secretary, Thomas Richardson), was located in Bridge Street, Norwich. ^[21]

He was created baronet by Queen Victoria on 27 November 1868. ^[22]

Hardwick House[23]

The pretensions of the crown chosen for his bank by Sir Robert John Harvey, 1st Baronet (1817- 1870) are underlined by the flanking thistle and Tudor rose – the heraldic flowers of England’s union with Scotland. This was further reflected in Harvey’s choice of an architect heavily involved in designing London banks and his appointment as 1st Baronet Harvey, in his rebuilding of Crown Point, Norfolk by H. E. Coe at the same time as the construction of the bank... ^[24][25]

However, what no-one was aware of was that he was speculating (unsuccessfully, as it turned out) on the stock exchange. He attempted to conceal his losses, inventing fictitious clients with debts. This fraud was of course, impossible to hide for ever; by 1870 the bank's losses had reached over £200,000. ^[14]

After the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war and subsequent market collapse, Robert could no longer suppress the truth. It must have been a colossal and horrifying shame to him. ^[14]

Death

Tragically, unable to face the disgrace of admitting to fraud, he shot himself in his house, Crown Point, on 15 July 1870. ^[14] He died four days later; a verdict of temporary insanity was subsequently given on 20 July. ^[26]His funeral was held on 22 July and he was buried in a mausoleum in the graveyard at Kirby Bedon, Norfolk. ^[27]His son Charles succeeded him as second Baronet. ^[28]

Crown Point was acquired after Sir Robert's suicide in 1870 by J.J. Colman and from 1955 became the Whitlingham Hospital. Like other Norwich banks the Crown Bank succumbed to the banking crisis of the time, once it was discovered that Sir Robert had created a series of false accounts to underwrite his share speculation, which failed, leaving the bank with £1.6 million of debts against £1 million of assets.^[24] The City of London purchased, among many other Harvey properties, Mousehold House, which, after becoming somewhat dilapidated, was eventually converted into residential apartments. ^[29]

Sources

1. ↑ Retrieved from FamilySearch: Film # 004143511 Thorpe-next-Norwich, Baptisms. England, Norfolk, Parish ...Record Office), 1510-1997 (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
2. ↑ Mousehold House, Norwich, Norfolk, Great Britain. Geograph. Retrieved from Geograph (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
3. ↑ White, William, (1845)., History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk, and the City and County of the City of Norwich: Comprising, Under a Lucid Arrangement of Subjects, a General Survey of the County of Norfolk, and the Diocese of Norwich; with Separate Historical, Statistical, & Topographical Descriptions of All the Hundreds, Liberties, Unions, Boroughs, Towns, Ports ... Norfolk, England. Retrieved from Google e-Books (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
4. ↑ Robert John Harvey, 1817 in England, Norfolk, Parish Registers (County Record Office), 1510-1997. FamilySearch Online Database with images. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
5. ↑ Duleep Singh, Frederick, prince, Farrer, Edmund (1928). Portraits in Norfolk houses Norwich: Jarrold and Sons, Ltd. Retrieved from the Internet Archive (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
6. ↑ Luttrell's Tower, Wikipedia. Retrieved from Wikipedia (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
7. ↑ Henrietta Julia Harvey, 1846 in England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. FamilySearch Online Database. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
8. ↑ Robert Lambert Sutton Harvey, 08 Nov 1847 in England, Norfolk Bishop's Transcripts, 1685-1941. FamilySearch Online Database with images, citing Christening, Lakenham-St Mark, Norfolk, England, Record Office, Central Library, Norwich; FHL microfilm 1,526,671. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
9. ↑ Charles Harvey, 03 May 1849 in England, Norfolk Bishop's Transcripts, 1685-1941. FamilySearch Online Database with images, citing Christening, New Lakenham-St Mark, Norwich, England, Record Office, Central Library, Norwich; FHL microfilm 1,526,671. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
10. ↑ Lambert Edward Harvey, 22 Nov 1850 in England, Norfolk Bishop's Transcripts, 1685-1941. FamilySearch Online Database with images, citing Christening, New Lakenham-St Mark, Norwich, England, Record Office, Central Library, Norwich; FHL microfilm 1,526,671. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
11. ↑ Ida Harvey, 1852 in England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. FamilySearch Online Database. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
12. ↑ Alicia Menella Harvey, 17 Jun 1857 in England, Norfolk Bishop's Transcripts, 1685-1941. FamilySearch Online Database with images, citing Christening, St Marks, Lakenham, Norfolk, England, Record Office, Central Library, Norwich; FHL microfilm 1,526,686. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
13. ↑ Freely available under Creative Commons license, © copyright Evelyn Simak Retrieved from Geograph (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3} JJ Heath-Caldwell website. Retrieved from jjhc(Here) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
15. ↑ Robert J H Harvey, Lakenham, Norfolk, England in England and Wales Census, 1851 FamilySearch Online Database with images, citing Lakenham, Norfolk, England, p. 5, 1851 England, Scotland and Wales census, citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
16. ↑ The Illustrated London News Vol 41, 1862., Public Domain, Google-digitized. Retrieved from Hathi Trust (p.328;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
17. ↑ Freely available from Hathi Trust.The Illustrated London News Vol 41 1862. Retrieved from Hathi Trust (p.354;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
18. ↑ The Illustrated London News Vol 41, 1862., Public Domain, Google-digitized. Retrieved from Hathi Trust (p.329;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
19. ↑ Bayne, A.D., ( 1869)., A Comprehensive History of Norwich. Retrieved from Gutenberg e-Book (Here;) Accessed 12 Mar 2022.
20. ↑ Retrieved from (Here;) Accessed 12 Mar 2022.
21. ↑ Kelly's Directory (1865)., Post office directory of the Norfolk counties; viz.: - Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk [afterw.] Post office directory of Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk [afterw.] The Post office directory of Norfolk and Suffolk [afterw.] Kelly's directory of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Retrieved from Google e-books (p.394;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
22. ↑ The London Gazette, Friday, 27 November 1868, (No. 23445, p.6273). Retrieved from The London Gazette (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
23. ↑ Freely available from Geograph: Public Domain: Hardwick House, Agricultural Hall Plain, Norwich cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Stephen Richards - (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022. See also (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1} Recording Archive for Public Sculpture in Norfolk & Suffolk. Architectural decoration - former Crown Bank. Retrieved from RACNS (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
25. ↑ Weston, Christopher., (EDP)., Norfolk Tales, Myths & More! Stories From Norfolk and Beyond – Be They Past, Present, Fact, Fiction, Mythological, Legend or Folklore. The Pretensions of a Banker! Retrieved from Norfolk Tales Myths (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
26. ↑ Norfolk Record Office Online Catalogue. File MC 3471/5, 1074X6 - Miscellaneous letters and papers relating to Edward Kerrison Harvey (1826-1906, third son of Sir Robert John Harvey), and to his son Edward Montague Chevallier Harvey (1861-1933). Retrieved from Miscellaneous letters and papers mainly relating to Sir Robert John Harvey (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
27. ↑ Harvey mausoleum in St Andrew's churchyard cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Evelyn Simak - geograph.org.uk/p/5703561. Retrieved from Geograph (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
28. ↑ Duleep Singh, Frederick, prince, Farrer, Edmund (1928). Portraits in Norfolk houses Norwich: Jarrold and Sons, Ltd. Retrieved from the Internet Archive (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.
29. ↑ Mousehold House. Retrieved from Flickr (Here;) Accessed 11 Mar 2022.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Harvey,_1st_Baronet,_of_Crown_Point
• https://web.archive.org/web/20191021184256/http://www.leighrayment.com/baronetage.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/20150215181722/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons.htm
• https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/23445/page/6273
• https://books.google.de/books?id=hK-IDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT117&lpg=PT117&dq=Sir+Robert+Harvey,+1st+Baronet,+of+Crown+Point&source=bl&ots=Iz-lofj4w-&sig=ACfU3U0fkNEnjxCsMQYw2f-twI4A7UrZ3w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjRhczh1732AhXfSvEDHQzjCvUQ6AF6BAgdEAM#v=onepage&q=Sir%20Robert%20Harvey%2C%201st%20Baronet%2C%20of%20Crown%20Point&f=false
• https://www.spink.com/lot/120501409
• https://www.jjhc.info/harveyrobertjohnsir1870
• https://elenahlodec.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/major-general-sir-robert-john-harvey/
• https://archive.org/details/gri_33125000513065/page/n133/mode/2up?q=Harvey
• Sir Robert John Harvey Sen. :https://books.google.de/books?id=fh1bAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA7-PR12&lpg=RA7-PR12&dq=Robert+John+Harvey+harvey+history+of+Parliament&source=bl&ots=nfGmOybGZj&sig=ACfU3U2ZJeme93HB8Ale9WS5WFE2exNAnw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL6pn20L72AhWXgf0HHTboABsQ6AF6BAgVEAM#v=onepage&q=Robert%20John%20Harvey%20harvey%20history%20of%20Parliament&f=false

• https://colonelunthanksnorwich.com/2020/02/