Born at Wrexham in 1764, the son of John Waithman, of Warton, Lancashire, a joiner at the Bersham furnace, and of his wife, Mary (Roberts). He served in a linen-draper's shop in London, and, about 1786, opened a shop of his own, first in Fleet Market, and then at 103 and 104 Fleet Street. He married, on 14 July 1787, his cousin, Mary Davis. He amassed a considerable fortune. Under the influence of the French Revolution he became a strong advocate of radical reform. He became Member of Parliament for the city of London in 1818, and again won the seat in 1826, holding it until his death. He was sheriff of London and Middlesex in 1820, and lord mayor in 1823. He died on 6 February 1833, in Woburn Place, and was buried in the church of S. Bride's, Fleet Street.
Published date: 1959
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