John de Ponthieu (27 April 1765 – 26 April 1813) was an English politician who served as a member of parliament for Helston and Westbury.
John de Ponthieu | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Westbury | |
| In office 1810–1812 Serving with Henry Lascelles | |
| Preceded by | Henry Lascelles Francis Whittle |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Hall Benjamin Shaw |
| Member of Parliament for Helston | |
| In office 1806–1807 Serving with Nicholas Vansittart, Thomas Brand | |
| Preceded by | Viscount Primrose Sir John Shelley, Bt |
| Succeeded by | Sir John St Aubyn, Bt Richard Richards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 April 1765 |
| Died | 26 April 1813 (aged 47) London, England |
| Relations | Charles Wilkes (cousin) |
| Parent(s) | Henry de Ponthieu Anne Sykes |
Early life
editDe Ponthieu was born on 27 April 1765. He was the second, but eldest surviving, son of Anne (née Sykes) de Ponthieu (d. 1817)[1] and Henry de Ponthieu (1731–1808), a merchant and amateur naturalist.[2] They lived at Princes Street, Bedford Row, Middlesex.[3] His father, together with his brothers, Josias and John de Ponthieu and brother-in-law Israel Wilkes III,[a] was a member of the firm de Ponthieu and Wilkes.[5]
His maternal grandparents were Anne (née Beaufils) de Ponthieu and Huguenot merchant, Josias de Ponthieu (son of Charles de Ponthieu, a refugee officer from Saintonge, and Marguerite de La Rochefoucauld).[3][6] Through his aunt Elizabeth de Ponthieu, he was a first cousin of the banker Charles Wilkes.[7]
Career
editDe Ponthieu was educated by R. Bland in Bromley-by-Bow. A member of Bruce, de Ponthieu, Bazett & Co. until his death, he was shareholder and writer for the East India Company in Bombay in 1783, he was a factor in 1790 before becoming secretary and accountant to the Military Board in 1795.[8] He returned to England by 1801 and succeeded to his father's estate in 1808.[3]
De Ponthieu, like his business partners Patrick Craufurd Bruce, George Simson, and Henry Fawcett of Scaleby Castle, sought to purchase a seat in Parliament and was returned, briefly, on two different occasions. He was first returned for Helston from 1806 to 1807, as a guest of Christopher Hawkins. From 24 March 1810 until his retirement in 1812, he represented Westbury under the patronage of Lord Liverpool.[3]
Personal life
editDe Ponthieu, who never married, lived at 43 Portland Place, Middlesex, and acquired a residence at Esher.[3]
He died at his home in London on 26 April 1813.[9] He was buried at Esher with his parents. His 1803 will, which was contested by his business partners, left £20,000 to his unmarried sister Anne,[3] who died in 1823.[2]
Notes
edit- ^ Israel Wilkes III (1722–1805) was a brother of John Wilkes, the radical journalist who served as MP for Aylesbury and Middlesex, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Sheriff of London, and Lord Mayor of London.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Obituary; with Anecdotes of remarkable Persons". The Gentleman's Magazine. F. Jefferies: 379. 1817. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b Piozzi, Hester Lynch (1991). The Piozzi Letters: 1792-1798. University of Delaware Press. p. 341. ISBN 978-0-87413-115-4. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Thorne, R. G. "DE PONTHIEU, John (1765-1813), of 43 Portland Place, Mdx. and Esher, Surr". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ Brooke, John. "WILKES, John (1725-97)". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Summary of Individual | Israel Wilkes". www.ucl.ac.uk. Legacies of British Slavery. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Summary of Individual | John De Ponthieu". www.ucl.ac.uk. Legacies of British Slavery. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Domett, Henry Williams (1884). A History of the Bank of New York, 1784-1884. G. P. Putman's Sons. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ The East India Kalendar: Or, Asiatic Register for ... 1799. ... J. Debrett. 1799. p. 168. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Obituary; with Anecdotes of remarkable Persons". The Gentleman's Magazine. E. Cave: 495. 1813. Retrieved 9 December 2024.