Angerstein , family , of Woodlands, Blackheath

The most prominent member of the Angerstein family was John Julius Angerstein (c 1732-1823). John Julius was apparently from a Russian family, although his precise origins were unclear. A family story maintained that he was the son of Empress Anne and a merchant Andrew Poulett Thompson, and that the name Angerstein came from the doctor who delivered him. He came to England aged 15 and worked in the counting-house of Andrew Poulett Thompson. By 1770 Angerstein was established as a broker, with an office in Cornhill. He worked in a succession of partnerships until his retirement in 1810, by which time he was handling 200 accounts.

Angerstein was among those who subscribed to the 1771 fund to find premises for a new Lloyd's Coffee House and in 1773 negotiated with the Gresham committee for the lease of rooms in the Royal Exchange. He served on the Lloyd's Committee from 1786 to 1796, and in 1810 represented those doing business at Lloyd's at the select committee on marine insurance. Angerstein's interests extended beyond Lloyd's and he was chairman of 5 subscription funds, as well as having varied private philanthropic interests.

Angerstein lived at 103 Pall Mall and Woodlands, Blackheath, built for him in 1774. He accumulated a notable private art collection and was an active patron of contemporary artists and writers, particularly Sir Thomas Lawrence who painted his portrait. Angerstein died in 1823. 38 paintings from his collection, by artists including Titian, Claude, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Velazquez and Van Dyck, were acquired by the government and formed the basis of the National Gallery collection.

He was married twice, first to Anne Muilman who had two children, John and Juliana. Anne died in 1783 and John Julius married Eliza Payne, who died in 1800. John Angerstein devoted much time to developing the Woodlands estates, and was elected MP for Greenwich in 1835.

Information from: Sarah Palmer, 'Angerstein, John Julius (c 1732-1823)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008.