The South Sea Company and Sir Gregory Page 2nd Bt
The South Sea Company and Sir Gregory Page 2nd Bt William Hogarth, ‘The South Sea Scheme: speculators ruined by the collapse of the South Sea Company’ (1721) Sir Gregory Page 2 nd Bt, a minor during the Bubble, gained £ 200,000 from his guardians ’ speculation on his behalf. With this, he bought an estate at Wricklemarsh (now Blackheath) where he pulled down the old manor house and commissioned a large manor from architect John James. Though demolished in 1787, surviving visual evidence and fragments reveal it was an eloquent Palladian essay: a central block with pavilions linked by a colonnade and a large portico. Page was a merchant who epitomized many of the traits and characteristics to be found among the nouveau riche merchants of his era. He was in fact Gregory Page 2 nd Bt and followed a grandfather and father of the same name both of whom had been highly successful merchants in their day; Gregory Page 1 st Bt progressed to a career in politics. The first Gregory ...