{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person/Wikidata | fetchwikidata=ALL | dateformat = dmy }}

'''Joseph Frederick Ledsam''' (16 April 1791 - 28 December 1862)<ref name=WC1862>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The late Mr. F.J. Ledsam |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18621231/013/0002 |newspaper=Worcestershire Chronicle |location=England |date=31 December 1862 |access-date=6 August 2017 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>Aris' Gazette of 3 January 1863 reported "We deeply regret to have to record the demise of our respected fellow-townsman, Mr. J. F. Ledsam which took place his residence at Chad Hill on Monday morning", i.e. Monday 29 December 1862.</ref> was a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Warwick, High Sheriff of Worcestershire (1848-1849)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=20825|pages=541–542|date=11 February 1848 |nolink=y}}</ref> and deputy chairman of the London and North Western Railway (1849-1862).

==Background== He was born on 16 April 1791 in Birmingham, the son of Joseph Moreton Ledsam (1767-1816) and Mary Bullock. He married Elizabeth Ann Ashton Goddington on 4 December 1817 in St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Aston. They had nine children: Frederick Goddington; Joseph; Mary Elizabeth; Frederick George; Anne Julia; Thomas Moreton; William; Emily Agnes; and James Goddington Ledsam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meredith of Herefordshire - Person Page 37 |url=https://winters-online.net/MerH/g1/p37.htm#i1806 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=winters-online.net}}</ref>

==Career== He had an involvement in railways from an early stage, and became a director and deputy chairman of the London and Birmingham Railway. He was also chairman of the Warwick and Leamington Union Railway.<ref>{{cite news |title=Warwick and Leamington Union Railway |work=Liverpool Mercury |date=24 January 1840 |issue=1498 |page=1 |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=94&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=3&docId=GALE%7CBC3203953090&docType=Advertisement&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZBLC-MOD1&prodId=BNCN&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CBC3203953090&searchId=R2&userGroupName=bclib&inPS=true |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1846 it was reported that he had invested £186,000 ({{Inflation|UK|186000|1846|r=-4|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} in railway speculation.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Railway Speculation |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000206/18460819/007/0002 |newspaper=Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser |location=England |date=26 August 1848 |access-date=6 August 2017 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1848 he was chairman of the Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18480826/062/0002 |newspaper=Worcestershire Chronicle |location=England |date=26 August 1848 |access-date=6 August 2017 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In 1849<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The Queen's Return from Scotland |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000193/18491006/028/0006 |newspaper=Leeds Intelligencer |location=England |date=6 October 1849 |access-date=6 August 2017 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> he succeeded Charles Lawrence as deputy chairman of the London and North Western Railway.<ref name=WC1862/>

He was also involved in other commercial undertakings holding the position of director of the Birmingham Banking Company<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Birmingham Banking Company |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000033/18610221/007/0002 |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Post |location=England |date=21 February 1861 |access-date=6 August 2017 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and the Birmingham and Staffordshire Gas Light Company.

He acted in a philanthropic context being a governor of King Edward VI School, Birmingham and chairman of the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival. He was a significant contributor to the cost of building St Mary's Church in Selly Oak,<ref name=BDP1860>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Laying the foundation stone of a new church, at Selly Oak |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000033/18600713/003/0002 |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Post |location=England |date=13 July 1860 |access-date=6 August 2017 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Harman">{{cite q|Q66438509|page=235}}</ref> a district of Birmingham here he had major land holdings, including Weoley Castle.<ref>{{cite web |title=History-27-BSB-18 |url=http://www.bmbhistory.org.uk/bmb-history_388.htm |website=BMB History. |access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref>

He died on 28 December 1862 and was buried on 3 January 1863 in Christ Church, Birmingham. His will was proved on 23 February 1863 and his estate was valued at under £60,000.

== Recognition ==

There is a street named after Ledsam in Ladywood, Birmingham,<ref>Ledsam Street, Ladywood, Birmingham: {{Coord|52.47908|-1.92278|region:GB-BIR|name=Ledsam Street, Ladywood, Birmingham}}</ref> as was another in Wolverton,<ref>{{cite web |title=Ledsam Street – Wolverton Past |url=http://www.wolvertonpast.co.uk/2011/05/09/ledsam-street/ |access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref> since demolished.<ref>{{cite web |title=Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images |url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=18&lat=52.06293&lon=-0.80704&layers=168&right=osm |publisher=National Library of Scotland |access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ledsam, Joseph Frederick}} Category:1791 births Category:1862 deaths Category:High sheriffs of Worcestershire Category:Businesspeople from Birmingham, West Midlands Category:Directors of the London and North Western Railway Category:Deputy lieutenants of Warwickshire Category:English justices of the peace