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Abraham Rawlinson
English politician and merchant / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abraham Rawlinson (1738–24 May 1803) was an English politician and merchant. He came from a prominent Quaker family which traded out of the port of Lancaster. Rawlinson served as one of two Members of Parliament for Lancaster from 1780 to 1790.[1][2] Abraham Rawlinson was the son of Thomas Hutton Rawlinson (1712–69), a slave trader, and his wife Mary (née Dilworth). He took over his father's business in 1756, creating a new company Abraham Rawlinson Junr. & Co. Rawlinson was involved in the importation of mahogany,[3] and in the slave trade.
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Rawlinson was painted by George Romney. The portrait was done in the 1760s before Rawlinson became an MP, and shows the subject holding a telescope to indicate his mercantile interests: it is currently on display in the Judges' Lodgings Museum, Lancaster.[1][4] The museum also has a silver cup presented to him in 1790 by his "fellow citizens" in gratitude for his parliamentary service.[5]
Rawlinson died 24 May 1803.[2]