William Moffat

William Moffat (7 March 1737 – 12 January 1822) was a British banker, merchant and politician.

He was involved in several banking partnerships in London, and was also a merchant. By 1790 he lived in Bloomsbury, and in 1799 he bought the Painshill estate in Surrey, but sold it a few years later and lived in Wimbledon. In 1819, it is 21, Birchin Lane.

East India Company ships

William Moffat is listed as the owner of ships sailing on behalf of the East India Company from 1781 to 1833. lists ships owned by William Moffat after he died in 1822. The majority of his estate went to his son, William Moffat, Jnr. and Margaret Moffat née Inglis.

Family tree

This only shows members of the family discussed below.

William Moffat, Jnr (1774–1851)

William Moffat, Jnr married twice: Ann Palmer (c1774-1805), daughter of Charles Palmer of Thurnscoe Hall in 1797 and, in 1807, Jane Wheatley (1783–1858) In all, he had 19 (possibly 21) children. He died on 25 August 1851 in Weymouth and was buried in Mortlake on 2 September 1851.

All his children from 1814 to 1824 were born in Mortlake, Surrey.

In 1826, J M W Turner exhibited a painting, The Seat of William Moffatt Esq., at Mortlake. Early (Summer’s) Morning

William Moffat's eldest son, William Palmer Moffat (1797–1833) married Frances Pearson (c1797-1868), daughter of William Pearson (1767–1847), one of the founders of the Royal Astronomical Society. William Palmer Moffat sailed on the East Indiaman Duke of York, 31 December 1817 – 4 May 1819, (Bombay and China). He died in Bruges in January 1833.

Captain William Moffat (1774–1850)

Voyages of ships owned by William Moffat, with William Moffat as captain.

The 1820 Register lists this ship as belonging to William Moffaft, However, according to Rowan Hackman's, Ships of the East India Company, 2001, the East India Company purchased the ship outright from William Moffat in 1816. She made 10 subsequent voyages for the company from 1816 to 1834.

Because Captain William Moffat sailed on East India Company ships owned by William Moffat, MP, there has been some confusion, sometimes resulting in them being thought to be one person. In fact, they were uncle and nephew. As stated above, William Moffat, MP's father was John Moffat (1676–1742). The memorial in Kolkata (below) shows that Captain William Moffat's father was James Moffat (1733–1788).

Captain William Moffat was born on 5 April 1774, in Rochester, Kent. He was the son of William Moffat, MP's brother, James, who died in India in 1788. William Moffat erected a memorial to James Moffat, and James' brother John, in South Park Street Cemetery, Kolkata in 1800 while Captain of the Phoenix. At the time, the Phoenix was owned by William Moffat, MP. The Naval Chronicle: William Taylor Money sailed on William Moffat MP's ship twice: on her first voyage, from 21 February 1787 to 22 June 1788, as 4th Mate and her second voyage, from 6 March 1789 to 26 April 1790, as 2nd Mate.

William Moffat died on 14 September 1850, in Kensington, Middlesex.

Captain William Moffat – Memorials

+ James and John Moffat, Kolkata In Memory of James Moffat,Surgeon of the "Phoenix," East Indiaman,who departed this life October 31, A. D. 1788,aged 55 years.

Also of Mr. John Moffat, brother to the above.who died A. D. 1791, aged 56 years.

This humble tomb is erected by William Moffatson of the above named James Moffat, who com-manded the "Phoenix" at this port in the year 1800.

+ Captain William Moffat in St Margaret's Church, Rochester SACRED TO THE MEMORY OFWILLIAM MOFFAT ESQ.OF HARPERTON, ROXBURGHSHIREA NATIVE OF THIS PLACE AND FORMERLYA COMMANDER IN THE H.E.I.C. MARITIME SERVICEWHO DIED AT KENSINGTON ON THE 14th SEPTEMBER 1850AGED 76 YEARS

Harington family

William Moffat's second wife, Elizabeth Harington (1771–1843) had two brothers: James Eyre Harington (1774–1836) and Thomas Talbot Harington (1780–1841).

James Eyre Harington was Purser on William Moffat's ship the Ganges on a voyage to St Helena, Bencoolen and China from 5 June 1797 to 10 February 1799. He was rector of Sapcote, Leicester and Chalbury, Dorset. He was one of the executors of William Moffat's will in 1822.