Benjamin Guinness

Statue in honor of Benjamin Guinness near St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin , created by John Henry Foley .

Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Baronet (born November 1, 1798 in Dublin , † May 19, 1868 in London ) was an Irish brewer and philanthropist .

Live and act

Guinness was born in Dublin in 1798 to Arthur Guinness (1768–1855) and Anne Lee and was thus the grandson of the founder of the Guinness Brewery . On February 24, 1837 he married Elizabeth Guinness (1813-1865), the daughter of his uncle Edward Guinness (1772-1833). After the death of his father in 1855, Guinness took over the management of the brewery. With the expansion of the brewery and profits from the export trade it promoted, Guinness became one of the richest men in Ireland.

He used this wealth to finance the renovation of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the 1860s . Because of this, he was raised to Baronet , of Ashford in the County of Galway and St. Stephen's Green in the County of Dublin on April 15, 1867 .

In addition to his business activities, Guinness was also very active politically, for example in 1851 he held the office of Lord Mayor of Dublin (Lord Mayor) and was a member of the House of Commons for the Conservative Party from 1865 until his death . He died in London and was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin.

After his death, the Baronetcy passed to his eldest son Arthur , who later became 1st Baron Ardilaun , who, together with his brother Edward , who later became the Earl of Iveagh , also took over the management of the brewery.

progeny

From his marriage to Elizabeth Guinness he had four children:

• Anne Guinness (1839-1889)
• Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun (1840-1915)
• Benjamin Guinness (1842-1900)
• Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh (1847-1927)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Entry GUINNESS of Ashford on Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
2. ↑ List of the Lord Mayors of Dublin (PDF; 42 kB)

Web links

• Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Bt. On thepeerage.com