Early Life
He was born the youngest of five children in York in October 1722, but otherwise very little is known about his childhood. Having moved to London to become a hatter's apprentice, in 1743, at the age of 21 he married Frances Atkinson, the daughter of his employer, in the chapel of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
By 1746 he was trading as a hatter in his own right from premises in Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, a few years later moving to new premises in The Strand.
Frances died in 1760, and the next year, at the age of 39 he remarried, to Barbara Huddart. It was at this time he became involved with the East India Company, later working up to having a number of ships under his control - records at the British Library show him as 'Principal Managing Owner' of a number of vessels including the East Indiaman York. Also at this time he received his knighthood, at the relatively young age of 46.
Read more about this topic: Richard Hotham
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