Sir John Perring, 1st Baronet

Sir John Perring, 1st Baronet
Born	Template:Birth date
Died	January 30, 1831(1831-01-30) (aged 65) Burton Crescent (Cartwright Gardens), London
Occupation(s)	Banker, politician
Years active	Late 18th century – early 19th century
Known for	Lord Mayor of London (1803), Member of Parliament for New Romney and Hythe, senior partner at John Perring, Shaw, Barber & Co.

Sir John Perring, 1st Baronet (26 April 1765 – 30 January 1831), FSA, of Membland in Holbeton, Devon, was a parliamentarian and held the office of Lord Mayor of London in 1803. He acted as a commissioner for exchequer bills and was the senior partner at the banking house John Perring, Shaw, Barber & Co., which collapsed during the Panic of 1825, resulting in the loss of his estates. On 3 October 1808, he was granted the title of the first baronet of the Perring baronets of Membland, Devon.

Origins

The eldest son of Philip Perring (deceased 1797), a serge manufacturer from Modbury, Devon, and Susanna Legassick, daughter of an affluent cloth merchant, John Perring inherited a family background rooted in textile trade. The Membland estate had been acquired by his uncle Peter Perring and was occupied by Sir John from 1799 and again between 1816 and 1827.

Civic career

On 13 January 1798, Perring was appointed alderman for Broad Street ward within the City of London as a clothworker and was subsequently elected Sheriff of the City in 1800.

He assumed the role of Lord Mayor on 9 November 1803. John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, characterized him as "a person of worth in private life and possessing sound and loyal principles in public." His tenure coincided with the Napoleonic Wars when safeguarding national security was critical. The Recorder of London highlighted the gravity of his responsibility, stating "the keys of the Metropolis are placed in your hands" amidst fears of a French invasion.

During his mayoralty, defensive coastal batteries were established; notably, Perring objected to one erected on his land along the River Yealm but was reassured by John Graves Simcoe who supervised these fortifications. On 18 May 1804, he presented the Corporation of London's colours to ten regiments of the London Loyal Infantry at Blackheath, an event attended by distinguished figures such as the Earl of Harrington, Earl Amherst, and Prince Frederick, Duke of York.

Post-mayoralty

Perring secured election as Member of Parliament for New Romney during the 1806 general election but lost this seat in 1807. He later represented Hythe from 1810 through three consecutive elections.

In 1808, he convened a gathering of financiers led by Abraham Goldsmid to raise funds for Emma, Lady Hamilton, mistress to Lord Nelson, following Nelson’s death.

He participated in King George IV’s coronation ceremony in 1821. The satirist John Wolcot, writing as Peter Pindar, addressed an ironic epistle to Perring that lauded Prime Minister Henry Addington’s administration.

As head of John Perring, Shaw, Barber & Co., Perring’s bank issued bonds for South American land speculator Gregor MacGregor. The bank suspended payments during the Panic of 1825, resulting in creditor losses and causing Perring to forfeit his estates.

Marriage and children

In 1790, he married Elizabeth Cowell (died 1811), daughter of John Cowell from Stratford, Essex. Together they had five children: two sons and three daughters:

• Sir John Perring, 2nd Baronet (1794–1843), their eldest son and successor;
• Phillip Perring;
• Elizabeth Perring;
• Jane Perring;
• Laura Perring.

Death

John Perring passed away in 1831 at Burton Crescent, also known as Cartwright Gardens, at the age of 65.

Sources

• Collinge, J.M., biography titled "Perring, John (1765–1831), of Membland, Devon and New Broad Street, London," featured in the History of Parliament, House of Commons 1790–1820, edited by R. Thorne, 1986 [1]
• Debrett's Baronetage of England, updated by George William Collen, London, 1840, page 434, entry on Perring Baronets [2]
• Scarratt, Anne, The Woollen Industry of Modbury, The Modbury Group, 2005-13 [3], providing information on the Perring family and their textile enterprise in Modbury