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John Mortlock (1755–1816) was a British banker, Member of Parliament and 13 times mayor of
The Banking Mortlocks
by R.J.H. Griffiths, 2011. People from Cambridge Mayors of Cambridge 1755 births 1816 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1784–1790 British bankers {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub
John Mortlock (1755–1816) was a British banker, Member of Parliament and 13 times mayor of Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
.
Biography
Mortlock was the only son of John Mortlock, a prosperous woollen draper of Cambridge. He succeeded his father in the business in 1777. His family seat was Abington Hall in Abington Magna outside Cambridge. In 1778 Mortlock bought himself the Freedom of Cambridge for £40. In 1780 he founded the first bank in Cambridge. Mortlock's bank, which was originally situated on the corner of Rose Crescent and then moved toBene't Street
Bene't Street is a short historic street in central Cambridge, England, the name being derived from St Benedict. There is a junction with King's Parade to the north and Trumpington Street to the south at the western end of the street. Free Scho ...
, would be run by members of the Mortlock family for over one hundred years. In 1896 the bank was amalgamated with Barclays & Co. There is a blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
commemorating Mortlock on the former Barclays Bank building in Bene't Street. In 1782 Mortlock became an alderman, then mayor and, in 1784, the Member of Parliament for Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
.
Mortlock, who was a great friend and supporter of Pitt the Younger
William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British statesman who served as the last prime minister of Great Britain from 1783 until the Acts of Union 1800, and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom from January 1801. He left o ...
, was called corrupt by his political opponents, though as the plaque suggests he had a different view of things:"''without influence, which you call corruption, men will not be induced to support government, though they generally approve of its measures''".
In 1792 he was appointed to the lucrative post of Receiver General
A receiver general (or receiver-general) is an officer responsible for accepting payments on behalf of a government, and for making payments to a government on behalf of other parties.
See also
* Treasurer
* Receiver General for Canada
* Recei ...
of the Post Office, a position he held until 1806.
He died in 1816. He had married Elizabeth, the daughter of grocer Stephen Harrison, and with her had eight sons and two daughters. A son, John Cheetham Mortlock,John Cheetham Mortlock was named for Thomas Cheetham (d. 1785). was knighted. A grandson John Frederick Mortlock wrote an account of his transportation to Australia and another grandson Frederick William Mortlock worked in customs in Jamaica.
References
External links
*The Banking Mortlocks
by R.J.H. Griffiths, 2011. People from Cambridge Mayors of Cambridge 1755 births 1816 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1784–1790 British bankers {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub