Richard Ford ( 1613 - 1678 )

Birth: 1613 Death: 31 August 1678 Burial: Bexley, Kent, England Profession: Merchant; politician; colonial official; slave trader Education: Exeter College, Oxford (matriculated 1631); Gray's Inn (admitted 1670) Career: Freeman, Exeter (1635), Southampton (1661); settled in Rotterdam, from where he helped to supply the Royalist armies (1642); Member, Merchant Adventurers' Company (by 1644), Governor (1660-1675); returned to England (1652); in partnership with his son-in-law, Peter Proby, and Sir William Ryder; supplied hemp to the Navy; Commissioner for Trade (1656-1657, 1660-1668); Commissioner of the HEIC (1658-1663, 1664-1665); Captain, London militia (1659); common councilman (1659-1661); MP for Exeter (1660); one of the commissioners sent to Breda to negotiate the restoration of Charles II to the throne; Commissioner for Assessment for London (1660-death), and for Kent (1673-death); Colonel, White Auxillary Regiment (1661-1669); MP for Southampton (1661-1678); Alderman of London (1661-death); Deputy-Lieutenant of London (1662-death); additional coal-meter (c.1661-death); Commissioner for Corporations for Hampshire (1662-1663); Commissioner for Tangier (1662-1673); Commissioner for Loyal and Indigent Officers for London, Westminster and Hampshire (1662); Deputy Governor, Royal Adventurers into Africa (1663), Assistant (1664-1671); Sheriff of London (1663-1664); Joint Farmer of Tin Coinage, Duchy of Cornwall (1664-1667); Lord Mayor of London (1670-1671); Assistant to the Royal Africa Company (1672-death); Commissioner for a Marine Treaty with the United Provinces (1674-1675); Commissioner of Charitable Uses (1675); Commissioner for Recusants (1675); President of St Bartholomew's Hospital (1675-death); as the leading merchant in the Merchant Adventurers' and Royal Africa Companies, he was held largely responsible for the two Dutch Wars Honours: Kt 1660 Memberships: Mercers' Company (1654, master 1661-1662, 1674-1675); Honorary Artillery Company (1670) Membership: Fellow Election Date: 27/11/1673 Proposers: Seth Ward.