17 Facts About Richard Peek

Richard Peek was a tea merchant in London from modest beginnings in Loddiswell in Devon.

Richard Peek rose to be one of the Sheriffs of the City of London.

Richard Peek was a known abolitionist and philanthropist in his home area.

Richard Peek left his birthplace in Loddiswell to go to Plymouth where he worked for a grocer.

Richard Peek reputedly walked to London and remet a Quaker who arranged for his new employment at a tea merchants called Sanderson and Barklay.

Richard Peek did so well that not only was he promoted but two of his brothers travelled up from Devon to join the trade.

Richard Peek was elected to be on the Corporation of London and subsequently one of the Sheriffs of the City of London in 1832.

Richard Peek was noted for his hatred of capital punishment and it was said that he would meet the Secretary of State at odd hours in an attempt to intercede on behalf of the condemned.

Richard Peek had built a home called Hazelwood in his home village and had moved his father into the house.

The partnership between the Peek brothers in Liverpool was dissolved "by mutual consent" on 30 May 1834 when Richard retired from the business.

Richard Peek retired from that as well on 21 December 1838.

Richard Peek was on the organising committee and attended the 1840 World's Anti-slavery convention in London and he was included in the painting which is in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

The second international Anti-Slavery convention was in 1843 when Richard Peek was a vice-president of the convention with other notables including John Cropper who had had a business in Liverpool.

Richard Peek took the chair of the convention when Samuel Gurney had to leave.

Richard Peek was reported as being an instigator of The Patriot magazine which did much for forwarding abolitionism in Britain.

Richard Peek gave land for a local school in 1841 and later gave land to fund its upkeep The British School was founded in 1853.

Richard Peek died 7 March 1867, without issue, in Kingsbridge and an alabaster pulpit was paid for in his memory and erected at his local church.