Sir William Gleadowe-Newcomen, 1st Baronet

Born William Gleadowe, he assumed the additional surname and arms of Newcomen following his marriage to Charlotte Newcomen, only child and heiress of Edward Newcomen, on 17 October 1772. On 9 October 1781 he was created a baronet, of Carrickglass in the Baronetage of Ireland.[1]

Gleadowe-Newcomen was elected Company Secretary of the Royal Canal Company at its first meeting (13th November 1789).[2] His involvement in the enterprise is recalled in the naming of Newcomen Bridge which spans the Royal Canal at North Strand and was completed in 1793.[3]

He followed in his father's footsteps as a banker, running a private bank commonly known as Newcomen's Bank. The former bank building, later the Rates Office, located on Cork Hill, Dublin, is considered to be one of Dublin's finest eighteenth century buildings.[4][5] It was designed by Thomas Ivory in 1781.

Between 1790 and 1800 Gleadowe-Newcomen was the Member of Parliament for County Longford in the Irish House of Commons.[6] Following the Acts of Union 1800, he represented Longford in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom between 1801 and 1802.[1]

On 29 July 1800 Gleadowe-Newcomen's wife was created Baroness Newcomen in the Peerage of Ireland in honour of her husband, with the remainder to his male heirs.[1] Upon Gleadowe-Newcomen's death in 1807 he was succeeded by his son, Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen. He also had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Teresa, married Sir Charles Turner of Kirkleatham. William Gleadowe-Newcomen is interred in a family tomb at Drumcondra Churchyard, as is his son Thomas.[1][7]