
Montagu never in fact became a Member of Parliament, but instead at the age of sixty-six in 1836, took up the newly created position of Accountant-General in bankruptcy. In this capacity he was responsible for laying down the foundations of our present administrative insolvency system. He finally retired in 1846. It is a terrible irony that when he died in 1851 Montagu was living at Boulogne as an exile fearful of returning home lest he be arrested and imprisoned for debt. The somewhat mysterious circumstances of his later years have never been fully investigated.
Montagu deserves to be rescued from obscurity, so that at long last he may receive, in large measure through his own words and those of his friends, a fair hearing and justice. For an interim attempt see here.
Montagu deserves to be rescued from obscurity, so that at long last he may receive, in large measure through his own words and those of his friends, a fair hearing and justice. For an interim attempt see here.
Picture credit: Basil Montagu (1770-1851) as an older man on an alabaster medallion which now resides in the Athenaeum, Pall Mall. Montagu was a member of the club. See: Tait, H & Walker, R. The Athenaeum Collection. London, 2000, “No.606 HWB Davies, 1849, A painted plaster medallion 46x40cm un-inscribed.” The original was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1850 and then in the library of the National Gallery. It seems likely that at the time of his final retirement in 1846 Montagu was invited by his colleagues at the Athenaeum where he had spent much time for over twenty years to sit for what became the medallion. It was sufficiently important to be noted in the catalogue of 1849 and to be exhibited at the Royal Academy a year later.
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