Francis Child (died 1740)
Sir Francis Child the younger | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1684 |
| Died | 1740 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, politician |
| Years active | 1722–1740 |
| Known for | Lord Mayor of London, Member of Parliament, director of the East India Company |
Sir Francis Child the younger (1684 – 1740), associated with the Marygold near Temple Bar and Osterley Park, Middlesex, was a prominent British banker and politician who represented constituencies in the House of Commons from 1722 until 1740. He held the office of Lord Mayor of London in 1731.
Early life
Born around 1684, Child was the son of Sir Francis Child. He obtained his freedom within the City of London on 12 March 1705. Following the death of his elder brother Sir Robert Child in 1721, Francis assumed leadership of the banking enterprise Francis Child & Co. That same year, he took over from his brother and father as alderman for the ward of Farringdon Without and was appointed Sheriff of London in 1722 alongside Alderman Humphrey Parsons.
Career
In 1722, Child held the position of master at the Goldsmiths' Company and secured election as Member of Parliament for the City of London. He subsequently won a parliamentary seat for Middlesex in the 1727 election, maintaining this role through the 1734 election.
He acquired an estate at Northall in 1726 for £19,501, which later became incorporated into the Osterley estate.
Between 1727 and 1740, Child served as president of Christ's Hospital, where his portrait is displayed; another portrait depicting him in his mayoral attire is housed at Osterley Park. In 1729, he introduced promissory notes that featured imagery of Temple Bar—an early innovation comparable to contemporary Bank of England notes—though these notes ceased circulation before the end of the eighteenth century.
During his tenure as Lord Mayor in 1731, Child appointed Dr. John Middleton as chaplain. Nearing the conclusion of his mayoralty on 28 September 1732, he accompanied other city dignitaries to welcome King George II upon his return from Hanover; during this occasion, the king bestowed knighthoods upon Child and several fellow officials.
That same year, Child was elected as a director of the East India Company, a position to which he was reappointed in 1732.
Death and legacy
Child passed away on 20 April 1740 and was interred at Fulham on 28 April.