Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton

Alexander was born on 27 October 1774. He was the second son born to Harriet Herring (1750–1804) and Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet (1740–1810). Among his siblings was Maria (the mother of Francis Stainforth), Sir Thomas Baring, 2nd Baronet, Henry Baring (a Member of Parliament for Bossiney[1] and Colchester),[2] and George Baring (who founded the Hong Kong trading house of Dent & Co.). His father, alongside his uncle, John Baring, established the London merchant house of John and Francis Baring Company, which eventually became Barings Bank.[3]

His paternal grandparents were Elizabeth Vowler and Johann Baring, a wool merchant who emigrated to England in 1717 from Germany and established the family in England. His maternal grandfather was merchant William Herring of Croydon and among his mother's family was her cousin, Thomas Herring, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Alexander was brought up in his father's business, and became a partner at Hope & Co. He was sent to the United States for various land deals, and formed wide connections with wealthy American families. In 1807 Alexander became a partner in the family firm, along with his brothers Thomas and Henry, and the name was changed to Baring Brothers & Co. When Henry Hope died in 1811, the London offices of Hope & Co. merged with Baring Brothers & Co.[4]

On 23 August 1798, Ashburton married Ann Louisa Bingham (1782–1848), daughter of Ann Willing Bingham and William Bingham of Philadelphia, who served as a U.S. Senator and was one of the richest men in America, having made his fortune during the American Revolution through trading and ownership of privateers.[11] Her maternal grandfather was Thomas Willing, the president of the First Bank of the United States. Together, they had nine children:[12]

• Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton (1799–1864), who married Lady Harriet Mary Montagu, eldest daughter of George Montagu, 6th Earl of Sandwich.[13]
• Francis Baring, 3rd Baron Ashburton (1800–1868), who married Hortense Maret (c. 1812–1882), daughter of Hughes-Bernard Maret, 1st Duke of Bassano, Prime Minister of France.
• Harriet Baring (1804–1892), married Henry Thynne, 3rd Marquess of Bath.[14]
• Frederick Baring (1806–1868), Rector of Itchen Stoke, married Frederica Ashton on 24 April 1831.[12]
• Anne Eugenia Baring (died 1839), married Humphrey St John-Mildmay.[12]
• Alexander Baring (1810–1832), who died on board HMS Alfred in the Mediterranean.[12]
• Arthur Baring (1818–1838), who died unmarried.[12]
• Louisa Emily Baring (died 1888)[12]
• Lydia Emily Baring (died 1868)[12]

Ashburton died on 12 May 1848 at Longleat, in Wiltshire. His widow died several months later on 5 December 1848.[12]

Of this great mercantile family the Duke of Richelieu wittily remarked; "There are six main powers in Europe; Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Prussia and Baring-Brothers!" (Vicary Gibbs, from the "Complete Peerage" 1910).

Attribution:

• "Baring pedigree". Archived from the original on 5 January 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ashburton, Alexander Baring". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 729–730.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Alexander Baring