Ralph Thicknesse

Ralph Thicknesse (1768 – 1 November 1842) was a British politician.

Born around 1768, the only son of Ralph Thicknesse, and Anne Dorothy (née Bostock). He married Sarah Woodcock on 20 December 1798 and they had one son, Ralph Anthony Thicknesse (1800–54), who also went on to become an MP for Wigan.^[1]

They had a residence called Beech Hill, to the north of Wigan, described as a farmhouse dating to the late 17th century, it stood in its own grounds.^[2][3]

Ralph Thicknesse established himself as a banker in Wigan in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Woodcock of Bank House. They founded Wigan Bank in 1792. He had withdrawn from the bank by 1834 at which time the bank was renamed Woodcock and Son.^[4][1]

He was engaged in the coal trade with interests in Ince and Aspull and was a co-proprietor of the Kirkless colliery.^[1]

In 1830 he was one of the initial proprietors of the Wigan Branch Railway becoming its first Chairman once it was established.^[a][5]

He was Member of Parliament (MP) for the Borough of Wigan in Lancashire from 1831 to 1834.^[1]

He died, aged 74, at Beech Hill, 1 November 1842 leaving all his property, including mines and collieries, to his only child, Ralph Anthony Thicknesse (1800–54).^[1]

Notes

1. "Local and Personal Act, 11 George IV & 1 William IV, c. lvi:An Act for making and maintaining a Railway from the Borough of Wigan to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in the Borough of Newton in the County Palatine of Lancaster, and Collateral Branches to communicate therewith" (PDF). UK Parliament. 29 May 1830. Retrieved 6 April 2020.

References

1. Fisher, David R. (1986). R. G. Thorne (ed.). The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820. Vol. 2. History of Parliament Trust. ISBN 978-0-436-52101-0. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
2. "Lancashire XCIII Beech Hill is approximately 2 miles NW of Wigan centre". National Library of Scotland. 1849. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
3. Historic England. "Beech Hill Farm including wall to street, 110 Beech Hill Lane (1384452)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
4. Woodcock, William Lee (1912). "History of the Woodcock family from 1692 to Sept. 1, 1912". p. 13. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
5. Sweeney, Dennis (2008). The Wigan Branch Railway. Triangle Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-9550030-35.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Mr Ralph Thicknesse

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Hodson Kearsley Lieutenant-Colonel James Lindsay	Member of Parliament for Wigan 1831–1834 With: John Hodson Kearsley (in 1831) Richard Potter (1832 - 1834)	Succeeded by Richard Potter John Hodson Kearsley