Henry Johnson (politician, died 1719) facts for kids

Sir Henry Johnson (born August 13, 1661 – died September 29, 1719) was an important British shipbuilder. He also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 30 years. An MP is a person elected to represent people in the country's main law-making body, the Parliament. Sir Henry lived in several places, including Blackwall in London, Bradenham in Buckinghamshire, and Toddington in Bedfordshire.

Early Life and Family

Henry Johnson was born the oldest son of Sir Henry Johnson, who was also an MP. His mother was Mary Lord. She was the daughter of William Lord from Melton, Kent.

Henry had several brothers and sisters. One of his brothers was William Johnson. His sister, Martha Johnson, married Hill Mussenden, who was also an MP.

Sir Henry Johnson's Career

Sir Henry Johnson was known as a very successful businessman. People called him "the greatest shipbuilder and shipowner of his day." At one point, he owned parts of 38 different ships! He also owned many shares in the East India Company. This company was very powerful and traded goods from places like India.

Later, Sir Henry became a strong opponent of the East India Company. He helped create a group in 1691 to try and break the company's special right to be the only one trading certain goods (their monopoly). This likely happened because of a disagreement he had with another important person, Sir Josiah Child, 1st Baronet.

Sir Henry took over his father's businesses in 1683. He was made a knight in March 1685, which means he was given the title "Sir."

He served as one of the two Members of Parliament for Aldeburgh from 1689 to 1719. His younger brother, William, was the other MP for almost all of that time. After Sir Henry died in 1719, Walter Plumer took his place as MP.

Sir Henry also became an Elder Brother of Trinity House in 1700. This organization is responsible for the safety of shipping and navigation. He was the Master of Trinity House from 1707 to 1709.

Bradenham Manor house, one of the properties connected to Sir Henry Johnson's family.

Personal Life and Family

On May 20, 1686, Sir Henry Johnson married his first wife, Anne Smithson. She was the daughter of Hugh Smithson, a London businessman who sold small items like buttons and ribbons. Before Anne passed away, they had one daughter:

• Anne Johnson (born around 1684 – died 1754). She married Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford. They had four children together.

On March 11, 1693, Sir Henry married his second wife, Martha Lovelace. This was a very good marriage for him because Martha became the 8th Baroness Wentworth in her own right in 1697. This meant she inherited the title and lands.

Martha was the daughter of John Lovelace, 3rd Baron Lovelace. She inherited property in Berkshire from her father. From her grandmother, Anne Lovelace, 7th Baroness Wentworth, she inherited lands in Water Eaton in Oxfordshire and Toddington in Bedfordshire. She also inherited the Bradenham estate in Buckinghamshire from her mother's side of the family.

Sir Henry Johnson died from a condition called gout in Bath on September 29, 1719. He was buried in the Wentworth family burial place in Toddington. He left his many properties to his granddaughters.

Sir Henry's Grandchildren

Through his daughter Anne, Sir Henry had four grandchildren:

• William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford
• Lady Anne Wentworth, who married an Irish politician named William James Conolly
• Lady Lucy Wentworth, who married Sir George Howard
• Lady Henrietta Wentworth, who married Henry Vernon and was the mother of Henrietta, Lady Grosvenor.