Robert Benson, 1st Baron Bingley
Robert Benson (* 1676 in Wrenthorpe in Wakefield, † April 9, 1731 ) was an English statesman and one of the major contributors to the so-called "South Sea Bubble ", lost their fortune in the numerous people and damaged the British economy strong.
Benson, son of a wealthy lawyer Robert Benson of Wrenthorpe and Dorothy Jenkins was baptized on 25 March 1676 in Wrenthorpe. He studied at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was accepted in the spring of 1691 at the age of 15 years as a Fellow and went to 1693 or 1694 on the Grand Tour, where he visited the Netherlands, France and Italy. He visited castles and gardens, what life influenced his taste. Pevsner described his summer residence Bramham as an Italian villa in a French castle - garden ) and acquired language skills.
Between 1702-1705 he was through the influence of his brother, the baronet Sir John Wodehouse elected as Tory MP for Thetford. There are very few political activities Benford is from this period. He is said to have beaten the Whig son of William Lowther, however, it remains unclear whether it involved political questions. As Wodehouse wanted to take his Thetforder parliamentary seat again, leaving Benson's uncle Tobias Jenkins him in 1705 based in York, a position he held until 1713. Shortly before the election in May, he was still declared the councilor.
After his mentor Robert Harley was appointed as Lord Oxford treasurer, Benson took over on June 14, 1711 whose term of office as Chancellor of the Exchequer, a position which he held until his elevation to the peerage in August 1713, although he was considered not particularly capable.
Although raised to the peerage, he was not recognized by society. Walpole made fun of the missing escutcheon. But he enjoyed the confidence of the Queen Anne, who demonstrably visited him in Bramham Park. He was from July 1711 to February 1715 a director of Südseecompanie, in which he had paid 3000 pounds. He was also involved in the legislation on Südseecompanie, and was very active in the share sale. When the bubble burst in 1720, Benson's coach in London was pelted with stones at Cavendish Square. He himself was not prosecuted for his involvement. After 1730 the Whig government supported, he was appointed as a reward to the Treasurer of George II, which he remained until his death, and was buried on 14 April 1731 in St. Paul's Chapel in Westminster Abbey. As a politician, he was described as an "aqueous Tory " and "No " for Joseph Addison he was even close to the Conservatives.
Benson first lived in Red Hall in Wakefield. Then he inherited the estate Bramham Park or Branham Moor near Wetherby in Yorkshire from his father, whose construction began in the 1690s, and closed it in 1710 from. Benson earned most of his wealth by the South Sea Bubble and used it among other things to the expansion of Bramham and its parks that were created just like the French style park in Le Nôtre. Since it is not known who designed the garden, it is often assumed that he was going to Benson back personally. His London residence was in Queen Street, Westminster.
Benson married in 1703 Lady Elizabeth Finch, daughter of Heneage Finch, Baron Guernsey, later 1st Earl of Aylesford, a marriage that thrived politically to his advantage. He had an illegitimate daughter named Mary Johnson, who he in his will ( 27 June 1729 March 9, 1729 ) left 7000 pounds and the name Benson. Walpole, his political opponents claimed that even his godson John Burgoyne, officially the son of verkrachten soldier John Burgoyne and the merchant's daughter Anna Maria Burnestone, his son was. This suspicion harbored other. Benson left Anna Maria Burnestone in his will an income of 400 pounds a year, on the her husband had no access and an estate in Hertfordshire and the free right to live in their home in the Prospect Street in London. Your husband, Captain John Burgoyne adopted his considerable debts. John Burgoyne should inherit Harriet, if she died childless, and then take the name of John Benson. His only legitimate child, the daughter of Harriet Benson inherited after he died of pleurisy. She was among other things Bramham, £ 100,000 cash and an annual rental income of £ 7000 pounds. His wife inherited the house in Queen Street. Harriet expanded the scale of her father Gardens in Bramham Park continues. The title " Lord Bingley " went out and was only revived in 1762 for George Fox Lane, the husband of Harriet.
The Scottish writer and politician George Benson Lockhart characterized as confused speaker who distinguished himself more by wit and good living because by business sense ("a man of wit and pleasure than of parts and capacity of business. "). Jonathan Swift boasted after all, its elegant table manners. He was also considered well read.