Sir John Barnard, MP, Lord Mayor of London

Family and Education

b. c.1685, 1st s. of John Barnard, citizen (glover) and merchant of London, of George Lane, St. Botolph’s by Sarah, da. of Robert Payne of Play Hatch, Sonning, Berks. educ. Wandsworth sch. for Quakers. m. 5 Oct. 1708, Jane, da. of John Godschall, Turkey merchant, sis. of Sir Robert Godschall, 1s. 2da. Kntd. 29 Sept. 1732. d. 29 Aug. 1764.

Offices Held

Glovers’ Co. 1728; Grocers’ Co. 1737-58, master 1738-9; alderman of London 1728-58, sheriff 1735-6, ld. mayor 1737-8; pres. Christ’s Hospital 1740-58.

Biography

Sir John Barnard (c. 1685 – 28 August 1764)[1] was a British Whig politician and Lord Mayor of London.

He was a son of John Barnard of London, a Quaker merchant, and his wife Sarah, daughter of Robert Payne of Play Hatch in Sonning on the border of Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

He was a Sheriff of London in 1736 and elected Lord Mayor of London for 1737.

He was elected at the 1722 general election as one of the four Members of Parliament (MPs) for the City of London. He held the seat for nearly 40 years, until the 1761 general election.

In 1734 he successfully promoted an Act of Parliament "to prevent the infamous practice of Stock-Jobbing". This Act, which was renewed in 1737, was known as "Sir John Barnard's Act".

Barnard was an opposition Whig, opposed to the administration of Sir Robert Walpole. In a speech in March 1738 Barnard said:

A dishonourable peace is worse than a destructive war...All nations are apt to play the bully with respect to one another; and if the government or administration of a nation has taken but one insult tamely, their neighbours will from thence judge of the character of that nation...and will accordingly treat them as bullies do noted poltroons; they will kick and cuff them upon every occasion.

Barnard gained a positive reputation as a "hammer of the Spaniards" and at Lord Cobham's country house at Stowe, who predeceased Barnard, an ornate bust commissioned of Barnard was included in its Temple of British Worthies, along with Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake.

Links and Sources

• History of Parliament Online
• oxforddnb.com
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barnard_(British_politician)