John Delbridge

John Delbridge was an English merchant from Devon.

Delbridge was born as the second son of Richard Delbridge, a merchant of Barnstaple, and his wife Alice. He attended the Emmanuel College in 1604 after which he entered the Middle Temple in 1606. From 1585 he was in marriage with Agnes Downe (d.1639), a daughter of Henry Downe of Barnstaple with whom he had five sons and three daughters.

He was elected six times as Member of Parliament for his home town, and three times as mayor of Barnstaple. As a businessman, Delbridge had interests in several renowned trading companies. He was a member of the East India Company (1611–21), the French Company (1611), the Virginia Company (1612-post 1623), the North West Passage Company (1612) and the Somers Island Company (1615-post 1622). He was also a member of the Council for Virginia in 1621.

His talents and influence were recognized by Sir Robert Cecil, a famous administrator and politician in the service of Elizabeth I and James I of England, who took him in his service (1602-1606).

After his death, his descendants failed to consolidate their position among the Devon gentry.