Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Baronet (born around 1704, died 1768) was an important English businessman. He was a successful merchant, selling goods, and also a banker, dealing with money. He became a Member of Parliament (MP), which means he helped make laws for the country. He also served as the Lord Mayor of London, a very important leader in the city.
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Sir Samuel's Life and Career
Samuel Fludyer was the oldest son of Samuel Fludyer, who was a clothier (someone who made or sold cloth) in London. Young Samuel went to Westminster School. He grew up in a family that was a "religious dissenter," meaning they didn't follow the main Church of England. Later in his life, he became closer to the Church of England.
Samuel joined his father's business and made it much bigger. He became one of the most important merchants in London. By the time he died, he was very wealthy, with a fortune of about £900,000. His younger brother, Sir Thomas Fludyer, also worked with him.
Becoming a City Leader
Sir Samuel became a member of the Clothworkers' Company, a group for people in the cloth trade. In 1734, he was elected to the Court of Common Council, which helped run the city. He became an alderman in 1751, a sheriff in 1754, and then the Lord Mayor of London in 1761.
He also joined the Bank of England as a director in 1753 and served four times. He was the Deputy Governor from 1766 until he passed away.
In 1755, when he was sheriff, he met King George II. The King was pleased with him and made him a knight. Four years later, in 1759, he was given the special title of a baronet. When he became Lord Mayor in 1761, he wore a very fancy wig. This wig was even shown in a famous picture by William Hogarth!
His Time in Parliament
In 1754, Sir Samuel became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Chippenham in Wiltshire. He spent a lot of money to get this seat. Chippenham was a town known for textiles (cloth), and Sir Samuel helped the town by agreeing to buy all their cloth at good prices. This helped Chippenham become more successful.
In Parliament, he usually supported the government, but he didn't always vote with them. He was an MP for 14 years but never gave a speech! In 1761, he tried to become an MP for the City of London but didn't win. Luckily, he had also been re-elected for Chippenham, so he stayed an MP.
Later, he worked to get government contracts for his business. Being an MP helped him do this. In 1763, he partnered with Adam Drummond to become the main supplier for the British army in North America. When a new government came into power, they first tried to cancel his contract. But Sir Samuel supported the new government, and his contract was given back to him.
Family Life
Sir Samuel Fludyer was married twice. His first wife was Jane Clerke, and they had one daughter. After Jane passed away in 1757, he married Caroline Brudenell in 1758. Caroline was the niece of a powerful nobleman, the Earl of Cardigan. They had two sons:
- Samuel Brudenell Fludyer (1759–1833), who became the next baronet and also an MP.
- George Fludyer (1761–1837), who also became an MP.
Sir Samuel Fludyer died in 1768 and was buried in the churchyard of St Margaret's, Lee.
See also
- Fludyer baronets
