Samuel Child
Samuel Child | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1693 |
| Died | 1752-10-01 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, Parliamentarian |
| Known for | Partner and head of Child & Co.; Member of Parliament for Bishop's Castle (1747–1752) |
Samuel Child (1693 – 1 October 1752) was a notable English banker and parliamentarian who represented Bishop's Castle as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1747 until his death in 1752.
He was the eleventh son of Sir Francis Child, a prominent banker, MP, and the Lord Mayor of London in 1698. Samuel was actively involved as a partner in the family banking firm, Child & Co., and assumed leadership of the bank following the passing of his brother Francis in 1740.
During the 1747 general election, Child received an invitation to stand as a Tory candidate for the Middlesex constituency, where his family owned estates. Nevertheless, due to a prior obligation to back Sir Roger Newdigate, he chose to contest the seat at Bishop's Castle instead. The borough’s patron, John Walcot, had an outstanding loan of £8,500 from Child’s bank, which contributed to Child being elected without opposition.
Following his death at age 59 in October 1752, leadership of the bank passed to his son Francis. After Francis died in 1763, the position was taken over by Samuel’s younger son, Robert.