Humphrey Parsons

The horse was accepted, and the king, who showed him every mark of favour, presented him, on 16 February 1731, with his portrait set in diamonds.

[177]), entitled ‘A Hymn to Alderman Parsons, our Lord Mayor,’ describes him as a churchman, an incorruptible tory, and as being proof against the bribery and wiles of the whigs.

He was elected alderman of Portsoken in March 1721, served the office of Sheriff of London in 1722, and was president of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals from 1725 until his death in 1741.

At the 1727 general election, he was returned as MP for City of London, where he was described as being ‘universally beloved for his good nature and open behaviour, and very popular amongst the common people for his great affability and condescension’.

A portrait of him in hunting dress appeared on the first page of the ‘Grub Street Journal’ for 3 December with verses in Latin, French, and English, and, on each side, ‘The character of a good Lord Mayor drawn by the late Dr. Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester.’ Parsons was very active opposing Walpole's excise bill both in the city and in Parliament, where he spoke describing some of the hardships which the excise laws put upon the brewers.

His pageant was of unusual splendor as he was the first lord mayor to ride in the state coach drawn by six horses gaily decorated with trappings.

On this occasion the following broadsides were printed: ‘A new Song made on … Humphrey Parsons, Esquire, now our great and good Lord Mayor’ (British Museum, 1872, a.

[170]), and ‘Whittington revived, or a City in triumph, on Alderman Parsons being chosen twice Lord Mayor of London’ (British Museum, 1876. f. 1.

Besides his ‘mansion-house,’ called The Hermitage, which probably adjoined his brewery at St. Katherine's in the eastern district of the city, Parsons inherited the family estates at Reigate on his father's death in 1717.

There are two mezzotint three-quarter-length portraits of Parsons: one in his robes as lord mayor, published by W. Banks; the other painted by Ellys in 1730, and engraved by Faber.