John Houblon
Encyclopedia
Sir John Houblon was the first Governor
of the Bank of England
from 1694 to 1697.
merchant, and his wife, Mary Du Quesne, daughter of Jean Du Quesne, the younger. He became Sheriff of the City of London
in 1689, an Alderman
from 1689 to 1712, and Master of the Grocer's Company
from 1690 to 1691. He was Lord Mayor in 1695.
He was a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty from 1694 to 1699. It was during this time, from 1694 until 1697, that he served as inaugural governor of the Bank of England. (Some sources also state that he was Member of Parliament
for Bodmin
, but this is incorrect; Houblon did stand as a candidate for Parliament, for the City of London
in 1701, but was defeated.)
He was again a Bank of England director from 1700, and a director of the New East India Company
from 1700 to 1701.
His brother, Abraham, was also Bank of England Governor, from 1703 to 1705. A daughter of Abraham Houblon, Anne, was married to Henry Temple
, later Viscount Palmerston
, in 1703.
. The notes were issued in 1994, the same year of the Bank's 300th anniversary. The design includes an image of Houblon's house in Threadneedle Street
, the site of the present Bank of England building. A new £50 note was brought into circulation in 2011, featuring James Watt
and Matthew Boulton
in place of Sir John Houblon.
Governor of the Bank of England
The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor...
of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
from 1694 to 1697.
Biography
Sir John was the third son of James Houblon, a LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
merchant, and his wife, Mary Du Quesne, daughter of Jean Du Quesne, the younger. He became Sheriff of the City of London
Sheriffs of the City of London
There are two Sheriffs of the City of London. The sheriffs are elected annually by the Liverymen of the Livery Companies, and it is a requirement for a Lord Mayor of the City of London to previously have served as a Sheriff. Sheriffs have only nominal duties now, but previously had large judicial...
in 1689, an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
from 1689 to 1712, and Master of the Grocer's Company
Worshipful Company of Grocers
The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London. It is ranked second in the order of precedence of the Companies and, having been established in 1345, is one of the original Great Twelve City Livery Companies....
from 1690 to 1691. He was Lord Mayor in 1695.
He was a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty from 1694 to 1699. It was during this time, from 1694 until 1697, that he served as inaugural governor of the Bank of England. (Some sources also state that he was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bodmin
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
, but this is incorrect; Houblon did stand as a candidate for Parliament, for the City of London
City of London (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
in 1701, but was defeated.)
He was again a Bank of England director from 1700, and a director of the New East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
from 1700 to 1701.
His brother, Abraham, was also Bank of England Governor, from 1703 to 1705. A daughter of Abraham Houblon, Anne, was married to Henry Temple
Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston
Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston was an Irish nobleman and British politician, the eldest son of Sir John Temple, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons....
, later Viscount Palmerston
Viscount Palmerston
Viscount Palmerston was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 12 March 1723 for Henry Temple, who subsequently represented East Grinstead, Bossiney and Weobley in the British House of Commons. He was made Baron Temple, of Mount Temple in the County of Sligo, at the same time, also in...
, in 1703.
Appearance on banknotes
Houblon has been commemorated by his appearance on the reverse of Series E £50 notes issued by the Bank of EnglandBank of England note issues
The Bank of England, which is now the Central Bank of the United Kingdom, has issued banknotes since 1694. Since 1970, its new series of notes have featured portraits of British historical figures. Of the eight banks authorised to issue banknotes in the UK, only the Bank of England can issue...
. The notes were issued in 1994, the same year of the Bank's 300th anniversary. The design includes an image of Houblon's house in Threadneedle Street
Threadneedle Street
Threadneedle Street is a street in the City of London, leading from a junction with Poultry, Cornhill, King William Street and Lombard Street, to Bishopsgate....
, the site of the present Bank of England building. A new £50 note was brought into circulation in 2011, featuring James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
and Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton, FRS was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engines, which were a great advance on the state of the art, making possible the...
in place of Sir John Houblon.
External links
- Sir John Houblon 1632-1712 at the Bank of England website
- The Rulers of London 1660-1689, J.R. Woodhead, on British History Online
- The Friends of Charles Darwin