Joseph Huddart

From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group

Son of Captain Joseph Huddart

Sir Joseph Huddart, inherited the use of the Brynkir and other estates in 1818 and also lands in the Boston Lodge and Minffordd areas including what is now known as Castle Deudraeth. From the wills of him & his father it would appear that most of the family fortune was held in a trust and the surviving members of the family were allocated an income from it. He was quite happy to have the railway pass through his estate as, no doubt, he expected to make money from it. The Minffordd Yard area was part of this land. He was a friend of William Alexander Madocks.

It was Sir Joesph who saved the Railway from bankrupty in 1836 when he took a £10,000 mortgage and later another £1,000. As the original estimate for building the line was £24,000 this mortgage represents a very large proportion of the total value. He did very well out of it as he received 5% return on it when shareholders were receiving nothing. It was 1862 before the mortgage was finally fully repaid to the Huddart estate. In his will he considered this a very safe and worthwhile investment.

He was County High Sheriff at one time, and was knighted at the opening of the Menai Bridge in 1826. The family played a major role in the Industrial revolution in the area, and invested in numerous quarrying and mining ventures, including largely unsuccessful ones in and near Cwm Pennant.

Joseph married Elizabeth Durham in 1808. They had three sons and seven daughters. They were Joseph (DoB unknown but died young), Elizabeth (1811), Emmaline (1816), Louisa (1816), Harriet (1820 but reports vary), Carolina (1821), Ellen Durham (1821), George Augustus (1822), Frances Josephine (~1826) and Fanc Routh (DoB unknown but died 1839). Sir Joseph's wife's brother, Andrew Durham, became a director and chairman of the FR Co..

On his death in 1841 the estate passed to his eldest surviving son George Augustus Huddart. Lady Elizabeth lived for another ten years and died "as a consequence of being thrown from her carriage" in Bournemouth.

The family also had a house in Bath and it would appear that Lady Elizabeth preferred that to Brynkir.

Most of the above information comes from census records and the wills of Capt. Joseph, Sir Joseph and his wife Lady Elizabeth.

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