Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadfield, William
HADFIELD, WILLIAM (1806–1887), writer on Brazil, born in 1806, entered commercial life in South America at a very early age, and spent some of the most important years of his life there. He was the first secretary of the Buenos Ayres Great Southern railway, secretary to the South American General Steam Navigation Company, and both by literary and commercial effort did much to open up South America to British enterprise and capital. This was without pecuniary benefit to himself, as in 1847, in consequence of an execution levied on his goods, he was driven to bankruptcy (Some Remarks on a Pamphlet called Mr. Rowson's Statement of Facts respecting Recent Occurrences at New Brighton, Liverpool, 1847). In 1863 Hadfield founded in London 'The South American Journal and Brazil and River Plate Mail' (the first number was published 7 Nov.), of which he was chief editor till his death, 14 Aug. 1887. He was buried at St. Peter's, Walthamstow, beside his wife, who had predeceased him.
Hadfield wrote: 1. 'Brazil, the River Plate, and the Falkland Islands, with the Cape Horn Route to Australia,' 1854. 2. 'Brazil and the River Plate in 1868, their Progress since 1853,' 1869. He also edited Brazil. Stray Notes from Bahia,' by Vice-consul James Wetherell, 1860.
[South American Journal, 20 Aug. 1887, p. 480; Athenæum, 27 Aug. 1887, p. 280; Brit. Mus. Cat.]