Chaloner Arcedeckne
Chaloner Arcedeckne, MP was an English politician and Jamaican landowner during British rule.Biography
He descended from the Arcedecknes, an Anglo-Irish family who arrived in Suffolk and made it their home. His father, Andrew Arcedeckne of Gurnamone, County Galway, was Attorney General of Jamaica, and he established Jamaica's Golden Grove sugar plantation in 1734. His mother was Elizabeth Kersey. A creole, Arcedeckne was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.
Arcedeckne inherited the property in Jamaica from his father. Benjamin Cowell, Arcedeckne's brother-in-law, was his business partner, arranging the insurance for sugar cargoes shipped to England from Golden Grove. As an absentee proprietor, Arcedeckne also depended upon the Jamaican estate attorney, Simon Taylor, who went on to become the wealthiest sugar planter in Jamaica. As an attorney, Taylor was Arcedeckne's "most frequent client and correspondent".
Sir John Blois, 5th Baronet lent Cockfield Hall to Arcedeckne in the 1770s for 21 years, after which Arcedeckne built Glevering Hall as his seat in 1794. In 1780, he became MP for Wallingford and, in 1784, he sat for Westbury, resigning from the latter by becoming Steward of the Manor of East Hendred. He was High Sheriff of Suffolk during the period of 1797–98.
Arcedeckne died on 20 December 1809. He had married Catherine, daughter and coheir of John Leigh of Northcourt Manor, Isle of Wight. They had four children, sons Andrew and Chaloner, and daughters, Frances-Katherine and Mary-Louisa. His son, Andrew was also an MP.
