Sir John Croft, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir John Croft (1778–1862) was an English diplomat and a spy. A diplomat works for their country's government in another country. Sir John worked for Wellington, a famous general. He helped Wellington gather information against Napoleon.

Early Life and Learning

John Croft was born in Porto, Portugal, in 1778. His father was a merchant, someone who buys and sells goods. John went to a British school. There, he learned to speak six different languages very well.

In 1795, John, who was nicknamed Jack, started working. He joined his family's business. They sold Port wine, a special drink from Portugal.

Five years later, Jack moved to London. He wanted to become a scientist. He first worked with Humphry Davy. Davy was famous for inventing the miners' safety lamp. This lamp made working in mines much safer.

In 1803, Jack began helping Joseph Banks. Banks was a well-known botanist. A botanist studies plants.

Becoming a Scientist

Jack became a member of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists. Famous scientists like Humphry Davy and Joseph Banks recommended him. Another scientist, Peter Mark Roget, also supported him. Roget is known for creating Roget's Thesaurus.

In 1814, Jack also became a member of The Royal Academy of Science in Lisbon. This showed how much his scientific work was valued.

Spy Work and Helping People

In 1810, a big war was happening. It was called the Peninsular War. Jack met Charles Stuart. Stuart was a British official in Portugal. He asked Jack to become a spy.

Jack's mission was to travel along the coast of Spain. He needed to set up a network of agents. These agents would report on French troop movements. Jack would then send this information to Stuart. Stuart would pass it on to Wellington. This spying helped the British army.

The next year, Charles Stuart gave Jack another important job. He made Jack a leader of the British Government Distribution Fund. This fund helped Portuguese villagers. Their homes and lives were destroyed by the war.

Jack quickly took charge of the operation. He worked with 16 volunteers. They provided blankets, clothes, food, and medicines. They even gave livestock, like farm animals. They helped 77,000 families who had lost everything.

Awards and Recognition

In 1814, the Portuguese Regent gave Jack a special award. It was called the Order of the Tower and Sword. This is a very high honor in Portugal.

Four years later, in 1818, he received a baronetcy. This meant he became "Sir John Croft." It was a special title from the British King.

In 1854, Portugal honored him again. He was given the title of Barao da Serra do Gerês. This means Baron of the Gerês Mountains.

Records of Sir John Croft's life and work are kept in Portugal. They are in the archives of The Fladgate Partnership in Vila Nova de Gaia. The Croft family also has many of his old documents.