Biography of William Mellish (c.1764-1838)
William was the second son of William Mellish of Blyth Hall (1708-1791) and his second wife Ann, daughter of John Gore of London and Bush Hill, Middlesex. His elder half-brother, Charles Mellish (1737-1797), inherited the Blyth Hall estate, while William and his elder brother John (1763-1798) inherited John Gore's family banking and mercantile business in Bishopgate Street, London following the death of their uncle Joseph Mellish (d 1790). William became sole proprietor of the firms John Gore & Co., and J. and W. Mellish & Co. when John was murdered by highwaymen on Hounslow Heath in 1798.
In addition to his family business, William Mellish was a director of the Bank of England from 1792 until his death. He was deputy governor between 1812 and 1814, and governor 1814-1816.
He served as M.P. for Great Grimsby, Lincolnshire (traditionally held by members of the Gore family), between 1796 and 1802, and again from 1803 to 1806, with the support of its patron Lord Yarborough. In 1806 he was elected for Middlesex, and held the seat until 1820. He was a Conservative, opposed to parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation.
In 1794 he inherited the Bush Hill estate in Edmonton from his aunt, Catherine Mellish (née Gore), widow of Joseph Mellish. The banking business was wound up and the proceeds of his estates divided between his nephews and nieces after his death.
Family
He was unmarried.
Archive Collections
- Papers relating to William Mellish are part of the Mellish Collection held in Manuscripts and Special Collections at the University of Nottingham
- A number of letters from William Mellish are held in the Portland and Newcastle collections in Manuscripts and Special Collections at the University of Nottingham. See all catalogue records.