Josiah Child
Sir Josiah Child, 1st Baronet (* 1630 in London ; † June 22, 1699 ) was an English merchant , economist and mercantilist .
Life
By carefully calculated purchases of common shares in the British East India Company , he quickly made wealth , became a member of the East India Company Committee, and brought the most important parts of the company in London and in Indian businesses into the possession of his relatives and favorites.
He was elected several times to the House of Commons and was from 1658 to 1659 MP for the Borough of Petersfield , 1673 to 1679 for Dartmouth and 1685 to 1689 for Ludlow . Initially belonging to the Whig Party , Child later joined the Tories as Governor of the East India Company after he was granted the hereditary title of Baronet , of Wanstead in the County of Essex on July 16, 1678 . Child knew how to assert himself in the favor of the English royal family through shrewd generosity and to win over all who had influence. Even Charles II and Jacob II accepted gifts from him.
Only after the expulsion of Jacob II as part of the Glorious Revolution and the accession to the throne of Wilhelm III. Child, against whom a violent agitation was now rising , had to give way to another governor.
He was married three times and had two daughters and two sons. His elder son Josiah inherited his baronet title. His younger son, Richard , inherited his childless brother in 1704 and was made Earl Tylney in 1731 .
Works
- Brief observations concerning trade and the interest of money (1668)
- Observations upon the United Provinces of Netherlands (1672)
- A new discourse of trade (1690)
Literature and web links
- John. P. Ferris: Child, Josiah (c.1630-99), of Wanstead, Essex. In: Basil Duke Henning (Ed.): The History of Parliament. The House of Commons 1660-1690. Secker & Warburg, London 1983, ISBN 0436192748 ( online edition ).
- Thomas Allan Ingram: Child, Sir Josiah . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 6 : Châtelet - Constantine . London 1910, p. 135 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).
- Sir Josiah Child, 1st Bt. On thepeerage.com
| predecessor | title | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Baronet, of Wanstead 1678-1699 |
Josiah Child |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Child, Josiah |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English businessman, economist and mercantilist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1630 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 22, 1699 |