John Twells

For the musician, see Xela (musician).

John Twells (1776–1866) was an English banker.

Life

He was born on 27 June 1776.[1] On his own account, he went into banking in 1801. He became a partner in the private bank Spooner, Attwood & Co. of Gracechurch Street, London, around 1816.[2][3][4]

Twells was the initial deputy chairman of the London & Greenwich Railway in 1834, resigning in 1837.[5] He gave evidence to the 1857 Parliamentary Select Committee on the working of the Bank Charter Act 1844.[6] He approved of the Bank Restriction Act 1797.[4] On early colonial scrip, Twells commented that

"In a bad hour, the British Parliament took away from America its representative money [...]"[7]

Karl Marx picked up on his comment that the 1844 Act had been profitable for bankers, while disadvantaging merchants and those in business in a small way.[8]

Twells died on 10 March 1866.[1] How can paper money increase the wealth of a nation? (1867, anonymous)[9] was by his son John.[10]

Family and connections

Twells married Mary Line, daughter of Joseph Line of Alum Rock, Worcestershire, and they had two sons, the Rev. John Twells and Philip Twells M.P.[1][11] Matthias Attwood M.P. was a connection in the London & Greenwich, where he was treasurer, and in the bank.[12] He was also a connection by marriage, having married Susanna Twells, daughter of Twells's brother William.[13]

Twells & Co., the Birmingham manufacturers, proprietor Philip M. Twells, were related. They supplied a locomotive to the London & Greenwich, No. 8 Thames, in 1838, thought to be a one-off.[14] It has been suggested that they acted only as agents.[15] Philip Mellor Twells was a Birmingham brass and copper tube manufacturer.[16] Edward Twells was son of Philip Mellor Twells of Ashted.[17]

Notes
  1. "southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/, Gamston - Glass". Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  2. Orbell, John (2017-07-05). British Banking: A Guide to Historical Records. Taylor & Francis. p. 498. ISBN 9781351954686. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  3. Ronald Henry George Thomas (1986). London's First Railway: The London and Greenwich. B. T. Batsford Limited. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7134-5414-7.
  4. Commons, Great Britain. Parliament. House of (1857). Reports from Committees. Ordered to be printed. p. 475. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  5. Ronald Henry George Thomas (1986). London's First Railway: The London and Greenwich. B. T. Batsford Limited. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-7134-5414-7.
  6. Twells, John (1857). Evidence of John Twells ...: Given Before the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Bank Charter Act, the Seventeenth Day of July, 1857. Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  7. Kirchubel, Michael A. (2009-07-04). Vile Acts of Evil - Volume 1 - Banking in America. Mike Kirchubel. p. 12. ISBN 9781448642250. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  8. Marx, Karl; Engels, Friedrich (2016-12-14). Delphi Collected Works of Karl Marx (Illustrated). Delphi Classics. p. 2798. ISBN 9781786560629. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  9. Halkett, Samuel (1926). Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudonymous English Literature. Ardent Media. p. 109. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  10. Twells, John (1867). How Can Paper Money Increase the Wealth of a Nation?. W. Skeffington, 163, Piccadilly. And A. Metcalf, Retford. p. 1. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  11. The Illustrated London News. Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. 1874. p. 249.
  12. Ronald Henry George Thomas (1986). London's First Railway: The London and Greenwich. B. T. Batsford Limited. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7134-5414-7.
  13. Robinson, John, of Sunderland; Thomas Arthur Carless Atwood (1903). "The Attwood family: with historic notes & pedigrees". Internet Archive. Sunderland: Hills and Company. pp. 287 chart. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  14. Ronald Henry George Thomas (1986). London's First Railway: The London and Greenwich. B. T. Batsford Limited. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-7134-5414-7.
  15. "Twells and Co - Graces Guide". Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  16. Corporation general and trades directory of Birmingham ... and Wolverhampton. 1861. p. 326.
  17. "Twells, Edward (TWLS847E)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
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