Sir John Houblon

Sir John Houblon was a merchant and descendant of a prosperous merchant family that originated from French Huguenots. His father was James Houblon, a leading citizen of London and successful merchant who established his sons in overseas trade.

Therefore, John followed the family tradition and specialized in trade with Portugal, Spain, Italy and the Mediterranean. He imported oil from Italy, wine from Spain, and canvas and linens from France, and exported from England large amounts of cloths to Portugal and to Virginia. The brothers also owners shares in the East India Company. The remaining four brothers became prominent in the same manner.

John was a member of the Grocers' Company, and served as its warden in 1682 and master in 1690–91. In 1689 he began his long tenure as alderman for the Cornhill ward and was appointed a sheriff for the City of London. In 1689 he was knighted by the King William III. In 1695 he became a Lord Mayor of London.

John served as the government adviser on commercial and financial matters. He used his position of the directorate of the powerful Levant Company (1691-1695) to obtain the naval protection of the Anglo-Portuguese trade in which his family had interests during the Nine Years’ War. From 1694 to 1699 he was appointed a lord of the Admiralty, an office which was rarely given to traders. Due to his wealth and prominence, he became a director and then a governor of the new Bank of England which was chartered in 1694.

In 1702 he was appointed as a commissioner for Navy provisions and in 1704 he was chosen by the House of Lords as one of the parliamentary commissioners of accounts. He also served as a director of the New East India Company founded in 1698 with the aim to compete with the largely tory Old East India Company.

John Houblon married Mary, daughter of Isaac Jurin, a London merchant of Flemish protestant origin and they had five sons and six daughters.