John Burridge (MP, died 1753) facts for kids

John Burridge (born around 1681, died 1753) was an important British merchant and politician. He lived in London and Lyme Regis, a town in Dorset, England. He was a member of the House of Commons, which is like a part of the government, from 1710 to 1728. He belonged to the Whig political party.

Early Life and Family

John Burridge was the second son of Robert Burridge, who was also a merchant in Lyme Regis. His mother's name was Mary. John became a successful merchant in London. He owned ships and traded goods with places like the West Indies, Spain, and America. Even though he lived in London, he kept his business connections in the West Country of England.

In 1695, John Burridge married Martha Ledgingham. Her father was Warwick Ledgingham from Ottery St. Mary in Devon. Martha inherited a large estate called the manor of Ottery St. Mary. John's uncle, John Burridge, also gave him a future right to another estate, the manor of Thorn Falcon in Somerset, when he got married. Later, John bought another property, Charmouth in Dorset, from his own father.

Starting a Political Career

John Burridge became a Freeman of Lyme Regis in 1704. Being a Freeman gave him certain rights and influence in the town. He gained political power by lending £300 to the town's council. He also secured a mortgage on the town's water system, which gave him more control.

In 1708, John Burridge was one of many merchants who complained about ships being lost at sea. These complaints led to an investigation in the House of Lords about the lack of naval ships to protect trade.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

At the general election in 1710, John Burridge was elected to the House of Commons. He took over the seat from his uncle, making it almost a family tradition for the Burridges to represent Lyme Regis. He quickly showed that he was a Whig politician. For example, in 1711, he voted for a motion called 'No Peace Without Spain', which was a key Whig idea at the time.

He also supported a bill to allow Quakers to affirm (make a serious promise) instead of taking an oath. In 1713, he voted against bills that would have put duties (taxes) on French wines and against a bill about trade with France. These votes showed his commitment to the Whig party and his interest in trade.

Time in Parliament

John Burridge was re-elected without opposition in the 1713 election. He continued to vote with the Whig party. He was also against expelling Richard Steele from Parliament in 1714.

He was re-elected again without opposition in the 1715 election. During this time, he consistently voted with the government.

Financial Challenges

In 1717, the government claimed money from his estate because he owed about £2,600 in taxes for wine. He managed to pay back over £1,000 by November and planned to pay the rest soon.

He was also mentioned in a report about the South Sea bubble. This was a big financial event in 1720 where many people invested in a company that later failed, causing a lot of financial trouble. The report noted that John Burridge had received shares from the company.

Re-election and Removal from Parliament

At the 1722 general election, there was a contest for the Lyme Regis seat. John Burridge was elected again, partly because his father was the mayor at the time.

Later, from 1726 to 1727, John Burridge himself became the mayor of Lyme Regis. After another contest in the 1727 general election, he used his position as mayor to declare himself elected. However, this was against a rule made by the House of Commons in 1685. Because of this, he was removed from his seat in Parliament on February 28, 1728.

Later Life and Efforts to Return

After being removed from Parliament, John Burridge tried to get financial help from the government. In 1730, he asked Robert Walpole, a very powerful politician, for money from special government funds. He argued that he had served in Parliament for almost 20 years and had not received much in return.

He tried to run for Parliament again in Lyme Regis at the 1734 general election, but he lost by a large margin. In 1746, he wrote to King George II, claiming that Walpole had promised him more money in 1731, which he said he never received.

John Burridge passed away on February 2, 1753. He did not have any children.