William Morland

William Morland (1739–1815) was an English banker and politician, Member of Parliament for Taunton from 1796 to 1806.[1]

Life

Morland formed a bank in 1786 with Griffin Ransom II and Thomas Hammersley; it had London premises at 57 Pall Mall, and traded as Ransom, Morland & Hammersley.[2] George Kinnaird, 7th Lord Kinnaird married Elizabeth Ransom, daughter of the banker Griffin Ransom I, who died 5 January 1784.[3] Lord Kinnaird was also a partner in the bank, though it never traded using his name.[1]

In politics

The bank became closely involved in the financial affairs of the Prince of Wales. Morland had a role in the Duchy of Cornwall in 1789–90. In the 1790 general election he stood for the first time as a parliamentary candidate in the two-seat Taunton constituency, as partner to John Halliday; Ginter suggests that by then he had had some contact with the political manager William Adam of Blair Adam. Morland and Halliday were unsuccessful in the poll.[1][4]

By 1796, the situation at Taunton was changed by the withdrawal of the sitting Pittite, Alexander Popham. Morland, standing as a Whig, was able to discourage Walter Boyd, another Pittite, from making a serious bid to replace Popham. The election was not contested, and Morland was elected with Sir Benjamin Hammet.[5]

Morland supported the second Pitt administration and opposed the Ministry of All the Talents.[1] The latter took steps in 1806 to exploit resentments in Taunton about process in the 1802 election, and Morland lost his seat to Alexander Baring, prompted by Lord Henry Petty.[1][5]

Banking

Morland was involved in the setting up at the end of 1801 of the Dundee New Bank, in which Lord Kinnard and John Baxter of Idvies were the major players.[1][6]

Family

Morland married in 1762 Mary Ann Mills, daughter of Austin Mills of Greenwich. They had one daughter Hannah, or Harriet, who married in 1785 Scrope Bernard.[1][7]

Notes

1. "Morland, William (1739-1815), of 56 Pall Mall, Mdx. and Lee House, Kent. History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
2. Orbell, John (5 July 2017). British Banking: A Guide to Historical Records. Taylor & Francis. p. 456. ISBN 978-1-351-95468-6.
3. "Deaths". The Scots Magazine. 1 January 1784. p. 57.
4. Ginter, Donald E. (1967). Whig Organization in the General Election of 1790: Selections from the Blair Adam Papers. University of California Press. p. 147.
5. "Taunton 1790-1820, History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
6. Thomson, James (1874). The History of Dundee. p. 352.
7. Cokayne, George Edward (1 January 1900). Complete Baronetage. Vol. V. Dalcassian Publishing Company. p. 151.