Denis Bond (1676–1747), of

Creech Grange Creech Grange is a country house in Steeple, south of Wareham in Dorset at the foot of the Purbeck Hills. Historic England designate it as a Grade I listed building. The park and gardens are Grade II* listed in the National Register of Historic ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, was English lawyer and Whig politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

between 1709 and 1732, when he was expelled for financial misconduct.

Early life

Bond was the elder son and heir of the wealthy barrister Nathaniel Bond, who came from a family who had been merchants in Dorchester, and bought

, near Wareham in 1691. He was admitted at

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1695 and called to the bar in 1703. He succeeded his father to Creech Grange in 1707.

Career

Bond became Recorder of Dorchester and of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in 1707 and held the position for the rest of his life. He first stood for Parliament at Wareham at the 1708 general election but was defeated. He was returned as Member of Parliament for Dorchester at a by-election on 5 December 1709, but was defeated at the 1710 general election. He did not stand in

1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ...

but was appointed carrier of the King's letters in 1714 and held the post for the rest of his life. At the 1715 general election Bond was elected MP for

Corfe Castle Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the Corfe Castle (village), village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and ...

and was appointed Commissioner for forfeited estates in 1716. In 1719 he became Recorder of Poole. He was returned unopposed as MP for Corfe Castle in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel '' Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), ...

. He became Recorder of Wareham in 1724. In 1725 he ceased to be on the commission for forfeited estates, but became a member of the committee of management of the Charitable Corporation. At the 1727 general election he changed seats and was returned unopposed as MP for

Poole Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...

. He became bencher of his Inn in 1728.

Financial scandals

In 1731 Bond was exposed as being involved in financial scandals. While on the Commission for forfeited lands, he had colluded with John Birch in the fraudulent sale of lands forfeited by the 3rd Earl of Derwentwater. They also acquired an annuity for the life of the real heir of the estate who was under age and expected to survive a full lifetime. When this heir died aged 18 the whole swindle came to light. A parliamentary inquiry was instituted by Lord Gage and as a result the sales were annulled. Bond and Birch were expelled from the House of Commons. At this time Bond was a director of the Charitable Corporation, which was set up to make small loans to the poor. Instead the corporation was lending the money to the City of London and receiving high returns instead. The House of Commons declared Bond and his colleagues to have been 'guilty of many notorious breaches of trust and many indirect and fraudulent practices'. They were forbidden to leave the country or to sell any of their property so that compensation could be claimed. However, in the next year, on further information, the House of Commons reduced its judgement of Bond's behaviour to neglect of duty and took no further action. Bond did not return to Parliament, but kept all his offices and was dutiful in the church and the law. He became churchwarden of St. George's, Hanover Square, in 1735 and Treasurer of his Inn 1739.

Death and legacy

Bond died on 30 January 1747. He had married Leonara Sophia Dummer, widow of Edmund Dummer and daughter of the diplomat Sir

William Dutton Colt William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

in 1729. They had no children and Bond's estates, including

, passed to his nephew John Bond.John Sydenham, ''The history of the town and county of Poole'' (1839), 24
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Denis 1676 births 1747 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Dorchester Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Poole British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 Expelled members of the Parliament of Great Britain