Jonathan Rashleigh

Jonathan Rashleigh (7 January 1820 – 12 April 1905) was an English landowner, local politician, and collector and numismatist of some repute.

Biography

Jonathan Rashleigh was born 7 January 1820 at Wilsford, Wiltshire, the second son of William Rashleigh, who in 1811 had inherited the Menabilly estate and sat as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Pocket Borough of Fowey from 1812 to 1817. At the time of Jonathan's birth, William was Sheriff of Cornwall.

Rashleigh was educated at Harrow School, for which he played cricket, and at Balliol College, Oxford, matriculating 1839 and graduating B.A. in 1842. Once at Menabilly, Jonathan Rashleigh turned his attention to botany and horticulture, notably by developing the estate gardens. He served as Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall, was its High Sheriff in 1877, and was a county magistrate. He scored a total of 42 runs with a high score of 20, while with the ball he took two wickets.