John Drummond (1676–1742) facts for kids

John Drummond (born 1676 – died 20 December 1742) was a Scottish man who had many important jobs. He was a banker, a merchant (someone who trades goods), and a politician. He was a member of the British Parliament from 1727 until 1742.

John Drummond's Early Life and Business

John Drummond was born in 1676. He was the third son of George Drummond and Elizabeth Ramsay. His family lived in Blair Drummond, Scotland.

When John was about 15 years old, in 1691, he moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He went there to learn about business. He met a man named James Brydges, who later became a Duke. James helped John a lot in his career.

After a peace treaty in 1697, John started his own business. He worked with a Dutch partner, Jan van der Heiden. They sold fancy goods like coffee, tea, chocolate, and wine. Their business did well for a while.

In 1709, John married Agatha Vanderbent from the Netherlands. Her brother was an important agent in Amsterdam.

Business During Wartime

Around this time, a big war started called the War of the Spanish Succession. John's business changed. He began to supply money to the British Army in the Netherlands. He also shared important information about the stock market with his friend James Brydges.

John wanted to buy a seat in the British Parliament. He took out a lot of money from his business to do this. However, his business already owed a lot of money. In 1712, John and his partner could not pay back their debts.

After 1710, John also became an important source of information for British politicians. He shared news from the Netherlands with leaders like Robert Harley and Henry St. John.

John Drummond Returns to Britain

In 1713, John Drummond came back to Britain. He worked as a Commissioner, helping to manage trade between England and the Spanish Netherlands.

He continued to be involved in big businesses. In 1722, he became a director of the East India Company. This company was very powerful and traded goods from far-off places. He also helped lead the East African Company. In 1726, he became a director of the Royal Exchange Assurance Company, which was an insurance company.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1727, John Drummond was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Perth Burghs in Scotland. This meant he helped make laws for the country.

In 1732, he stopped being a director of the Royal Exchange Assurance. He was then appointed as a Commissioner to help settle trade matters in Antwerp. He also left his role at the East India Company in 1734.

John was re-elected as an MP for Perth Burghs two more times, in 1734 and 1741. He usually voted with the government. He often spoke in Parliament, especially about topics related to trade and business.

John Drummond passed away on 20 December 1742. He did not have any children.