Sir Richard Levett

Sir Richard Levett was a London merchant born into a prominent Sussex Anglo-Norman family which eventually lost much of its medieval wealth. Forming a partnership with his brother Francis, he built a trading empire, importing and distributing tobacco and other commodities.

The brothers began their career dealing as small haberdashers, trading everything from tobacco to textiles. They imported tobacco and other goods to England, which were sold to peddlers at fairs across the country, including those at Lenton, Gainsborough, Boston, Beverley and elsewhere. The company Sir Richard Levett & Co. continued to prosper and brothers had at disposal their own ships to transport various commodities from tobacco to linens. Their business activities extended as far afield as Turkey and India, where they had interests in the early London East India Company, to North America, the West Indies, Portugal, Africa, Ireland and Russia. Eventually, their company became among the largest factors of its day in England owning an immense working capital estimated between £30,000 and £40,000 in 1705.

Over time Levett became a merchant adventurer of the London East India Company, one of the first directors of the new Bank of England, and a member of the New England Company in 1698. He was also one of the earliest investors in the insurance firm, Lloyd's of London. He served as a Sheriff, Alderman and Lord Mayor of London and Master of the Haberdashers' Company (1690 and 1691).

He was married to Mary Crispe, likely the daughter of merchant adventurer Sir Nicholas Crispe of Fulham, London.

In 1691 he was knighted at Kensington.