Beriah Botfield

1807 - 1863  (56 years)    Has 35 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Beriah Botfield
  Birth	5 Mar 1807
  Gender	Male
  Death	7 Aug 1863
  Person ID	I270154	Geneagraphie
  Last Modified	12 Aug 2001

  
  

  Father	Beriah Botfield,   b. 27 Jul 1768, Donnington d. 27 Apr 1813, Norton Hall, Shropshire, England (Age 44 years)
  Mother	Charlotte Withering,   b. 21 Feb 1778   d. 26 Oct 1825 (Age 47 years)
  Marriage	26 Jul 1806
  Family ID	F109230	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Isabella Leighton   d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	21 Oct 1858
  Family ID	F109231	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	12 Aug 2001

  
  

• Notes

  Beriah BOTFIELD II was the cousin of the Reverend William Bishton GARNETT. His death on August 7, 1863 resulted in the inheritance by William Bishton Garnett of the estate at Decker Hill, Shifnal as well as other holdings accumulated by Beriah's uncle William BOTFIELD and the right to use the Botfield name in conjunction with that of Garnett. Beriah BOTFIELD was born at Earl's Ditton, Salop on March 5, 1807. He was the only child of Beriah BOTFIELD (one of the three Botfield brothers who amassed vast holdings in mines, iron foundaries and real estate in Shropshire). His mother was Charlotte WITHERING, daughter of William WITHERING, a medical doctor residing at Edgbaston near Birmingham. The younger Beriah Botfield was educated at Harrow and Christ Church Oxford, receiving a B.A. in 1828 and an M.A. in 1847. There, he developed a life long interest in the classics, antiquities, geology and botany, books, genealogy and politics---interests which he pursued for the rest of his life. In 1831, Beriah Botfield was appointed Sheriff of Northamptonshire. In this capacity, Botfield was one of the public officials who discovered and brought to trial the illegal bribery and vote-buying charges leveled against two of the incumbent Members of Parliament for Northants and Ludlow--Clive and Alcock. In the 1840 by-election called to fill Alcock's parliamentary seat, Beriah Botfield stood for election as the Conservative candidate and won the seat. By this point, he had become a man of considerable fortune and influence in Shropshire, largely as a result of his immense inheritance from his father and uncles. The Botfields' wealth was drawn from the local Shropshire iron and coal industries, in which they controlled a number of blast furnaces and collieries, employing thousands of men and youths throughout the area. It was said by Botfield's future father- in-law, Sir Baldwin Leighton, that Botfield was "by far the richest commoner in Shropshire" [Leighton's diary, entry dated August 8, 1858, Loton Hall manuscripts]. In the election of 1840, Botfield beat the Whig opponent (G. G. de Larpent) by 194 votes to 160. And in the subsequent general election of 1841, Botfield together with another new Conservative candidate, James Ackers of Heath House, easily defeated the Whig, Salwey, by 222 and 219 votes to 156. Botfield continued to represent the riding of Ludlow in parliament until July 23, 1847. He was out of parliament for ten years, being re-elected again in 1857 and continuing as M.P. until his death six years later. Botfield was an active supporter of horse racing meets held at Shrewsbury. Stewards of these race meets were drawn exclusively from the ranks of the local nobility and gentry. County and borough M.P.s were expected to serve as stewards at least once and it was customary for a member of a county family, once he had come of age, to be a steward of the various Shropshire race meets. Beriah Botfield (as M.P. for Ludlow from 1840-47) was steward of the Shrewsbury Races in 1839 [from the Salop Journal, June 19, 1839]. The support of the local M.P.s normally took the form of a cup or a financial contribution to an existing stake or plate. Botfield was required, under the terms of his inheritance from his uncle William Botfield, to live at Decker Hill for at least six months a year---which he is said to have detested [from Hatfield House Manuscript of the 3rd. Marquis of Salisbury, letter from Lord Powis to Lord Salisbury dated Dec. 22, 1879]. Beriah Botfield did not get married until late in life (at the age of 50). His obituary notice published in Gentleman's Magazine [November, 1863 edition] hints that there was an "unfortunate liaison" (probably with someone of a lower social station in life ) which he entered into around 1828 (at age 21) and which continued for a period of 28 years. On October 21, 1858 Beriah Botfield married Isabella LEIGHTON at Alderbury. She was the second daughter of Sir Baldwin LEIGHTON, Bart., the M.P. for South Shropshire. The Leightons were members of the Shropshire aristocracy. Several of this family stood as conservative candidates for parliament, the most controversial of these being Sir Baldwin Leighton. Beriah and Isabella Botfield had no children. Besides his political career and interests in horse racing, Beriah Botfield was a well-known antiquarian, classical scholar, historical, genealogist, and bibliophile. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (F.R.S.) on January 17, 1839, and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (F.S.A.) later in 1839. He belonged to a number of scholarly clubs (including the Abbotsford, Bannatyne, Maitland, Roxburghe Clubs and also the Surtees Society), and he edited books for all of these organizations. He even set up a private printing press at his own principal residence (Norton Hall) where he printed and published a number of limited edition books, including: Journal of a Tour Through the Highlands of Scotland (1830); Bibliotheca Bearneiana (1848); Notes of Cathedral Libraries of England (1849); Prefaces to first Editions of Greek and Roman Classics (1861). Beriah Botfield also compiled a history and genealogy of the BOTFIELD and BOTEVYLE family, entitled Stemmata Botevilliana (written in 1843 and republished in 1858). Beriah Botfield died on August 7, 1863 at his London residence, 5 Grosvenor Square. The property which he had inherited from his uncle, William Botfield, reverted to William Bishton GARNETT at the time of his death. The rest of Beriah Botfield's estate was left to his widow, Isabella Leighton Botfield, and also to the second son of the Marquis of Bath who was related to the Botfield family through the BOTEVILE-THYNNES family of Longleat in Wiltshire. In addition to inheriting the property at Decker Hill, Shifnal, William Bishton GARNETT was also granted the right to use the name of BOTFIELD in addition to that of the name GARNETT [by Royal License dated October 3, 1963]. From that point onward, this other branch of the GARNETT family became known under the name of GARNETT-BOTFIELD. Beriah Botfield, dying as he did without heirs and successors, was the last in the line of the BOTFIELD pedigree. After the death of Beriah Botfield II, the name of BOTFIELD became extinct, except for the right granted for its continued use by the GARNETT-BOTFIELD family. That name too became extinct with the death of William McLean GARNETT- BOTFIELD [q.v. G-B 4] sometime in the 1950s. __________________________________ Sources of information: Allibone's Dictionary of English Literature, edited by John Foster Kirk, published by Lippincott (1891) page 181. Burke's Landed Gentry, 1853 edition. Burke's Authorized Arms, 1971, pages 4-5. Men of the Reign, edited by Thomas Humphry Ward, published by George Routledge & Son, New York City, 1885, page 99. Modern English Biography, by Frederic Boase, volume 1, published by Netherton & Worth, London, 1892. The Gentlemen's Magazine, obituary of Beriah Botfield, published in the November, 1863 edition. Victorian History of Shropshire, volume II, page 181; volume III , pages 314, 337-9 BOTFIELD, Beriah [1807-1863] Beriah BOTFIELD II was the cousin of the Reveren d William Bishton GARNETT. His death on August 7, 1863 resulted in the inher itance by William Bishton Garnett of the estate at Decker Hill, Shifnal as we ll as other holdings accumulated by Beriah's uncle William BOTFIELD and the right to use the Botfield name in conjunction with that of Garnett. Beriah BOTFIELD was born at Earl's Ditton, Salop on March 5, 1807. He was the only child of Beriah BOTFIELD (one of the three Botfield brothers who amassed vast holdings in mines, iron foundaries and real estate in Shropshire). His moth er was Charlotte WITHERING, daughter of William WITHERING, a medical doctor residing at Edgbaston near Birmingham. The younger Beriah Botfield was educate d at Harrow and Christ Church Oxford, receiving a B.A. in 1828 and an M.A. i n 1847. There, he developed a life long interest in the classics, antiquitie s, geology and botany, books, genealogy and politics---interests which he pur sued for the rest of his life. In 1831, Beriah Botfield was appointed Sherif f of Northamptonshire. In this capacity, Botfield was one of the public offi cials who discovered and brought to trial the illegal bribery and vote-buying charges leveled against two of the incumbent Members of Parliament for North ants and Ludlow--Clive and Alcock. In the 1840 by-election called to fill Al cock's parliamentary seat, Beriah Botfield stood for election as the Conserva tive candidate and won the seat. By this point, he had become a man of consi derable fortune and influence in Shropshire, largely as a result of his immen se inheritance from his father and uncles. The Botfields' wealth was drawn f rom the local Shropshire iron and coal industries, in which they controlled a number of blast furnaces and collieries, employing thousands of men and yo uths throughout the area. It was said by Botfield's future father-in-law, Sir Baldwin Leighton, that Botfield was "by far the richest commoner in Shropshir e" [Leighton's diary, entry dated August 8, 1858, Loton Hall manuscripts]. In the election of 1840, Botfield beat the Whig opponent (G. G. de Larpent) b y 194 votes to 160. And in the subsequent general election of 1841, Botfield together with another new Conservative candidate, James Ackers of Heath Hous e, easily defeated the Whig, Salwey, by 222 and 219 votes to 156. Botfield c ontinued to represent the riding of Ludlow in parliament until July 23, 1847. He was out of parliament for ten years, being re-elected again in 1857 and continuing as M.P. until his death six years later. Botfield was an active sup porter of horse racing meets held at Shrewsbury. Stewards of these race meet s were drawn exclusively from the ranks of the local nobility and gentry. Co unty and borough M.P.s were expected to serve as stewards at least once and i t was customary for a member of a county family, once he had come of age, t o be a steward of the various Shropshire race meets. Beriah Botfield (as M.P . for Ludlow from 1840-47) was steward of the Shrewsbury Races in 1839 [from the Salop Journal, June 19, 1839]. The support of the local M.P.s normally took the form of a cup or a financial contribution to an existing stake or pl ate. Botfield was required, under the terms of his inheritance from his uncle William Botfield, to live at Decker Hill for at least six months a year--- which he is said to have detested [from Hatfield House Manuscript of the 3rd . Marquis of Salisbury, letter from Lord Powis to Lord Salisbury dated Dec. 22, 1879]. Beriah Botfield did not get married until late in life (at the age of 50). His obituary notice published in Gentleman's Magazine [November, 1863 edition] hints that there was an "unfortunate liaison" (probably with s omeone of a lower social station in life ) which he entered into around 1828 (at age 21) and which continued for a period of 2