Benjamin Bathurst (courtier) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benjamin Bathurst
Member of the British Parliament for Bere Alston
In office 1685–1689
Governor of the East India Company
In office 1688–1690
Governor of the Levant Company
In office 1688–1689
In office 1695
Member of the British Parliament for New Romney
In office 1702–1704
Cofferer of the Household
In office 1702–1704
Monarch	Queen Anne
Personal details
Spouse	Frances Apsley
Children	4, including Allen, Peter and Benjamin
Occupation	Slave trader

Sir Benjamin Bathurst (around 1639 – 1704) was an important British politician. He was also involved in the slave trade. He served as a governor for the East India Company and the Levant Company. Later, he became the Cofferer of the Royal Household. This role meant he managed the royal family's money.

Benjamin was born in Theddingworth, Leicestershire. He was the sixth son of George Bathurst and Elizabeth Villiers. His family supported King Charles I. After the King was executed, Benjamin moved to Cadiz in Spain.

When he returned to England, he was a wealthy man. He married Frances Apsley, who was a close friend of Princess Anne. Thanks to this friendship, he became Treasurer of Princess Anne's Household. He kept this job even though there were questions about how he handled money.

He bought a large estate called Paulerspury in Northamptonshire. He also became a London Alderman, which is a senior member of a city council. In 1682, he was knighted, earning him the title "Sir." He also managed money for the Duke of York, who later became King James II of England.

Political Career

Benjamin Bathurst first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1685. He was chosen to represent New Romney. However, he decided to represent Bere Alston instead, as he had also been elected there. He held this seat until the election in 1689.

In 1702, Princess Anne became Queen Anne. Sir Benjamin was then appointed Cofferer of the Household. He was also elected as an MP for New Romney again. He held both these important jobs until he died in 1704. Even though Queen Anne had concerns about his financial dealings, her friendship with his wife helped him keep his position.

Business Roles

Sir Benjamin held many important positions in powerful trading companies:

• He was a deputy governor of the East India Company from 1686-1688 and 1695-1696. He was also governor from 1688-1690.
• He was a deputy governor of the Royal Africa Company from 1680-1682. He was a sub-governor in other years too.
• He was a deputy governor of the Levant Company from 1686-1687. He was governor from 1688-1689 and in 1695.
• He also served as Deputy Governor of the Leeward Islands.

Family Life

Sir Benjamin married Frances Apsley. She was the daughter of Sir Allen Apsley. They had three sons and one daughter. All three of his sons later became Members of Parliament themselves. They were:

• Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst (born 1684)
• Peter Bathurst (born 1687)
• Benjamin Bathurst (born 1692)

Involvement in the Slave Trade

Sir Benjamin Bathurst played a significant role in the slave trade. This was due to his senior positions in the Royal Africa Company and the East India Company. The Royal Africa Company was established in 1660. Its main purpose was to trade along the west coast of Africa.

This company transported about 100,000 enslaved African people to the Americas. Most of them went to the Caribbean islands. This was part of the larger Atlantic slave trade. British and Portuguese traders transported a total of 3.1 million enslaved people.

In 1700, Sir Benjamin bought Cirencester Park. He used money he earned from trading goods like gold, silver, cloth, and spices. He also used profits from the slave trade. This estate is still owned by the Bathurst family today. When Sir Benjamin died, he left a large fortune. This wealth allowed him to buy country estates for all three of his sons.

See also

• List of East India Company directors