Thomson Hankey (15 June 1805 – 13 January 1893) was a British West India merchant, banker, and Liberal Party politician. He served as Deputy Governor (1849–1851) and Governor (1851–1853) of the Bank of England and represented the parliamentary constituency of Peterborough from 1853 to 1868 and again from 1874 to 1880.
Early life and family
Born in London, Hankey was the eldest son of Thomson Hankey senior, a West India merchant, and Martha Harrison, daughter of Benjamin Harrison of Clapham Common. He was educated privately and entered his father’s firm, Thomson Hankey & Co., which dealt in trade with the Caribbean colonies.
Business career
Hankey became a senior partner in the family merchant house, which owned plantations in the West Indies. Following the abolition of slavery, he received compensation under the Slave Compensation Act 1837 for the Grenville Vale estate in Grenada, reflecting his involvement in slave‑owned properties.
Banking career
In 1835 Hankey was elected a director of the Bank of England. He served as Deputy Governor from 1849 to 1851 and succeeded John Hubbard as Governor, holding the post from 1851 to 1853. His tenure occurred during a period of expanding British financial influence, and he later featured in the Bank of England’s 2020 public apology for historic links to the slave trade.
Political career
Hankey first contested a parliamentary seat at Boston in the 1852 general election without success. He entered the House of Commons after a petition voided the 1853 election of Liberal MP George Hammond Whalley for Peterborough; the seat was awarded to Hankey on 14 August 1853. He was re‑elected in 1857, 1859 and 1865, but lost the seat in the 1868 election to William Wells. After a hiatus, he regained Peterborough in the 1874 election, serving until his defeat in 1880.
Public service and later life
Beyond banking and Parliament, Hankey served as a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex, Kent and the City of London, and held a commission of lieutenancy for the City of London. Advancing age limited his active participation in public affairs during his later years. He died on 13 January 1893, aged 88.
Legacy
Hankey is remembered for his roles in 19th‑century British finance and politics, as well as for his connection to the colonial economy of the Caribbean. Contemporary reassessments of his legacy focus on his involvement in slavery‑linked commerce and the subsequent compensation claims.