The story which follows is the true story of William Habgood of
Latton in Wiltshire, England, who went to London as an apprentice
and became very rich. Following his death in 1803, a series of
catastrophic blows hit his family.
This story should interest anyone who enjoys a fast-moving and dramatic story. It is the story of the acquisition of a huge fortune, suicide, seduction, polygamy, bankruptcy, imprisonment, terrible family quarrels, elopement with a ward of Chancery, illegal marriage, murder, cunning and trickery, debt, more imprisonment, polyandry, the purchase of a bank, life in a manor house, honour and respect, ownership of a brothel, the insolvency of the bank, riots in the streets, death and disgrace. Much of this villainy was perpetrated by a man who was an MP, a JP, and the lord of a manor. Open History (the Open University's history magazine) said of the book: 'It is a must for all... This is a brilliant little book; not only does it hold the interest and one is always wondering what happened next, but it is skilfully written. It should have a huge audience ... once started I could not put it down.'
It should also be of particular interest to descendants of members of the Habgood family who lived in Latton or in the surrounding towns and villages in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire in the 18th or early 19th centuries, or in London. In the mid-19th century some of the descendants of William Habgood moved to Lancashire, some to Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire, and others to Berkshire.
This account has been very carefully and thoroughly researched. Family Tree Magazine said of the book: 'This is a scholarly, well-researched chronicle ... It is an example to all historians... Be warned that once started, this book cannot be put down.' Sources of information are given at the end of the story, and a description of the performance of the research is given in Author's Comments.
The history was published as a book in 1995. No further copies of the book are available for purchase at the moment, but British readers should be able to obtain a copy of the book from their local libraries through the inter-library loan service. All the major national libraries in Britain have a copy. In America, the Mormons' library in Utah has a copy. If there is sufficient demand, there may be a second edition.
The story which follows below is very similar to the text of the printed book, but is not completely identical. Extra pages concerning a court case in 1839, a report in The Times newspaper in 1842, and the final chapter on the younger William Habgood, have been added in the internet version, while all illustrations and lengthy quotations which are to be found in the printed book, appendices containing transcriptions of lengthy inventories and coroners' reports, and also the extensive footnotes, have been omitted in the internet version. Acknowledgements have also been omitted.
Go to: Index Page
(C) Judith Habgood-Everett 1995
Last updated: 31/1/2007
Page maintained by Judith Habgood-Everett at judithhabgood@googlemail.com