Ralph Bernal

Ralph Bernal (2 October 1783 or 1784 Both of Bernal's parents were raised as Sephardic Jews but later distanced themselves from it and aligned more with the Church of England by the time of Bernal's birth. Thus, he was baptised into the Church at St Olave's Church in Hart Street.

All of Bernal's grandparents were born in England. Through both of his parents, Bernal was of Iberian descent; he was more Portuguese leaning from his mother's side, while he was more Spanish leaning from his father's side. Bernal's ancestors lived in several cities in Portugal and Spain before fleeing following the expulsion of Jews from the two countries in 1492. The family settled in Amsterdam in The Netherlands before permanently settling in London.

During his youth he became an actor and he performed to acclaim in several works by William Shakespeare, during which time he gained a reputation for oratory.

Career He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln 1818–20 and MP for Rochester from 1820 to 1841 and again from 1847 to 1852. From 1842 to 1847 he was MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.

According to the Legacies of British Slave-Ownership at the University College London, Bernal was awarded a payment as a slave trader in the aftermath of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 with the Slave Compensation Act 1837. The British Government took out a £15 million loan (worth £ in ) with interest from Nathan Mayer Rothschild and Moses Montefiore which was subsequently paid off by the British taxpayers (ending in 2015). Bernal was associated with three different claims, he owned 564 slaves in Jamaica and received a £11,458 payment at the time (worth £ in ).

Bernal was president of the British Archaeological Association in 1853. He built up a substantial collection of glass, ceramics and other art objects, which were auctioned after his death, with the 4,000 lots selling for £70,000. Together, they were the parents of:

Ralph Bernal (1808–1882), a politician, who took on the surname Osborne on marrying Catherine Isabella Osborne, the daughter of Sir Thomas Osborne, 9th Baronet.

Bernal died on 26 August 1854.