Benjamin Bathurst (courtier)

Sir Benjamin Bathurst (c.1639 – 1704) was a British politician, a slave trader, a governor of the East India and Levant companies and a Cofferer of the Royal Household.[1][2]

Benjamin Bathurst
Member of the British Parliament for Bere Alston
In office 1685–1689
Governor of the East India Company
In office 1688–1690
Governor of the Levant Company
In office 1688–1689
In office 1695
Member of the British Parliament for New Romney
In office 1702–1704
Cofferer of the Household
In office 1702–1704
Monarch	Queen Anne
Personal details
Spouse	Frances Apsley
Children	4, including Allen, Peter and Benjamin
Occupation	Slave trader

He was born the 6th surviving son of George Bathurst of Theddingworth, Leicestershire and his first wife Elizabeth Villiers of Hothorpe Hall, Northamptonshire. His family were supporters of King Charles I and after the latter's execution, he chose to move to live in Cadiz.

On his return to England as a wealthy man he married Frances Apsley, a close friend of Princess Anne, who obtained for him a position as Treasurer of her Household, which he retained despite mounting evidence over the years that he was embezzling money from Anne and her husband. He bought the manor of Paulerspury in Northamptonshire and became a London Alderman. He was also made Treasurer to the Duke of York (later James II of England) and in 1682 was knighted.

He entered Parliament in 1685 to represent New Romney as a government nominee, but then chose to represent Bere Alston instead, for which he had also been elected.[1] He held that seat until the election of 1689.

He was deputy governor of the East India Company in 1686-68 and 1695–96 and governor in 1688–90. He was a deputy-governor of the Royal Africa Company in 1680–82 and a sub-governor in 1682–4, 1685-6 and 1689–90. He was deputy governor of the Levant Company in 1686-87 and governor in 1688–89 and 1695. He was also Deputy Governor of the Leeward Islands.[3]

In 1702, on the accession of Queen Anne, he was appointed Cofferer of the Household and again elected to Parliament to represent New Romney, holding both positions until his death in 1704.[1] Although Anne had been convinced of his dishonesty for several years, her friendship with his wife seems to have secured his position.

He had married Frances, the daughter of Sir Allen Apsley of Westminster and Frances Petre, and had 3 sons and a daughter. His 3 sons all became MPs themselves and were Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst (born 1684), Peter Bathurst (1687) and Benjamin Bathurst (1692).