Photo: "Lyall" (anonymous Vanity Fair artist), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons¹⁰

Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda

English engineer and politician

Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda (21 May 1813 – 27 April 1885) was an English engineer and politician. He was born in London the younger son of Abraham Samuda, and brother of Jacob Samuda.²

From Wikipedia’s article on Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born May 21, 1813, died Apr 27, 1885.¹

About

He started out in his father's counting-house, but in 1832 he joined his elder brother to set up Samuda Brothers.

From Wikipedia’s article on Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.²

Companies

Samuda BrothersFounder⁹

Career

Occupation: shipbuilder, engineer, marine architect, politician, entrepreneur.⁵

1874 to 1880Member of the 21st Parliament of the United Kingdom⁴
1868 to 1874Member of the 20th Parliament of the United Kingdom⁴
1865 to 1868Member of the 19th Parliament of the United Kingdom⁴
Date not recordedFounded Samuda Brothers³

Personal life

BornMay 21, 1813, London⁶
DiedApr 27, 1885, London⁷
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland⁸

Politics

Joseph Samuda also had an important parliamentary career. He was a member of the Metropolitan Board of Works from 1860 to 1865, whereupon he entered Parliament as the Liberal MP for Tavistock. He sat for that constituency until 1868, when he was returned for the Tower Hamlets, which he represented until 1880. Then he lost his seat owing to his support for Benjamin Disraeli's foreign policy. While in the House he spoke with much authority on all matters connected with his profession. Some of his speeches are described as "treasure-houses of technical and political knowledge." He abandoned Judaism and was interred in Kensal Green Cemetery, London. In 1837 he married Louisa Ballin, daughter of Samuel Ballin of Holloway.

The Samuda Estate, on the site of his shipyard, in Cubitt Town, is named after him and his brother, and includes Ballin Court, named after his wife, Louisa. They lived at 7 Gloucester Square, Bayswater and had a daughter called Ada.

He was one of the original officers of the 2nd Tower Hamlets Rifle Volunteer Corps raised in the East End of London in April 1861, when he was commissioned as a captain.