Person    | Male  Born 12/9/1786  Died 1/12/1866

William Cotton

William Cotton

William Cotton FRS was an inventor, merchant, philanthropist, and governor of the Bank of England 1842-5.

He helped build St John's Church Leytonstone in 1833, and 75 other churches in London. He worked to strengthen the world church through 3 volunteer societies.

He helped found King's College, London, and also the National Society (Church of England and Church in Wales) for the Promotion of Education, often just referred to as the National Society, and since 2016 also as The Church of England Education Office (CEEO).

He supported 4 London hospitals. While at the Bank he invented an automatic weighing machine for gold sovereigns. Fellow of the Royal Society from 1821.

Born Leytonstone, the son of Joseph Cotton. He lived and died at Walwood House in Leytonstone. Brother to Benjamin Cotton. Father to Agnes.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Cotton

Commemorated ati

Cotton family grave

Collecting gravestones is not part of our mission, but we have transcribed th...

Read More

Other Subjects

United St Saviour’s Charity / Corporation of Wardens of the Parish of St Saviour’s

United St Saviour’s Charity / Corporation of Wardens of the Parish of St Saviour’s

Southwark St Saviour was a civil parish and part of the ancient Borough of Southwark. It was formed in 1541 from the union of the parishes of St Margaret and St Mary.  In 1899 it lost its governanc...

Group, Philanthropy, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Agnes Cotton

Agnes Cotton

Social reformer and philanthropist. Youngest daughter of William Cotton, remained unmarried. Opened a Home for Friendless Girls in 1865, at Forest Glade, in Whipp's Cross Road.  Then 1876, she boug...

Person, Philanthropy, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Sir John Kirk

Sir John Kirk

J.P., Christian philanthropist, the children's friend.  Not to be confused with Sir John Kirk (1832-1922), the African explorer.  Sir John's great great grandson, Peter Mitchell, contacted us to sa...

Person, Children, Education, Philanthropy

1 memorial
William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme

William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme

Soap magnate and philanthropist, founder of Port Sunlight, near Liverpool. Born 6 Wood Street, Bolton, Lancashire. Known for his patronage of the arts and paternalistic social policies, he was also...

Person, Industry, Philanthropy, Race Issues

1 memorial
Abbeyfield Society

Abbeyfield Society

A charity which provides sheltered housing  and care homes for elderly people, now known just as Abbeyfield. Founded by Richard Carr-Gomm, it owns and manages around 200 houses and 20 care homes (2...

Group, Philanthropy, Social Welfare

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Margaret McMillan

Margaret McMillan

Socialist propogandist and educationalist. Born at Throgg's Neck, Westchester county, New York. Both her parents were from Scotland, and the family returned there when her father died. She attended...

Person, Education, Social Welfare, Scotland, USA

1 memorial
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

The borough was formed in 1965 by the merging of the separate former boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea. It was originally planned to call it just Kensington, but Chelsea was added after local prot...

Group, Politics & Administration

31 memorials
Dorothy

Dorothy

Comic opera set in rural Kent in 1740. The plot surrounds the Squire's daughter, Dorothy and her cousin Lydia, who, tired of the social rounds, decide to pose as villagers during the festival of th...

Event, Theatre

1 memorial