William Leatham (banker)
William Leatham (1785–1842) was a leading Banker in Wakefield, a Quaker and an abolitionist. Biography Leatham was born in Pontefract to a father who would set up the family bank around 1800. Leatham attended Mr Tatum's academy in Leeds, but he was apprenticed to his father's bank by the age of about 15. Leatham extended the business when he was 23 and he was given the branch at Wakefield to manage. Another branch at Doncaster was successfully managed by Edward Tew. Leatham married Margaret Walker, the daughter of a Leeds Doctor in 1813. The Leatham family were part of an influential Quaker community in Yorkshire. His children included William Henry Leatham and Edward Aldam Leatham who was born in 1828 who both became Liberal politicians, together with his grandson William Leatham Bright. In 1840 Leatham published a series of letters he had sent to try to influence the government's policy with respect to banking. He had a number of well argued points which he detailed in letters to the chairman of the relevant committee, Charles Wood. He believed that they were making a big mistake in not including in the considerations of the British economy the currency of Bill of