Samuel Whitbread (1764-1815) MP, of Whitbread
1764 Born at Cardington, the only son of Samuel Whitbread and his wife Harriet
1775 Attended Eton College
1780 Entered Christ Church College, Oxford
1782 Moved to Jesus College, Cambridge
1788 Married Elizabeth Grey
1790 Elected MP for Bedford, the seat his father had held for many years
1796 On the death of his father he inherited the brewery, some London property, and estates in seven counties.
He later consolidated and increased his Bedfordshire estates and sold most of the outlying lands.
1795 Birth of first son, William Henry
1796 Birth of second son, Samuel Charles
1798 He carried on the brewery business alone for two years, but took in three partners in 1798 and three more in 1800, freeing himself from the need to personally manage the brewery, whilst remaining individually responsible for the brewery's finances.
1806 Did not secure office when Lord Grenville's coalition ministry was established, marking the turning point of his political career.
From about 1808 his finances began to run into difficulties due to the borrowing he made to invest in the brewery.
1812 Whitbread became detached from the opposition in Parliament.
By 1815 he was visibly unwell. He committed suicide at his London house.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Biography of Samuel Whitbread (1764-1815), ODNB