Sir John Lubbock, 1st Baronet

Sir John Lubbock, 1st Baronet (bapt 20 August 1744 – 24 February 1816) was an English banker.

Shortly after establishing the Bank, Lubbock entered into business as a merchant with Frederick Commerell in 1776.

In 1784, he intended to stand as parliamentary candidate for the Devizes constituency in Wiltshire but eventually declined the poll 'for the sake of peace'.

In November 1795, he was one of the sponsors of the London merchants and bankers loyal declaration of support for Pitt's government.

In 1797, he insisted that the bank was fully competent to liquidate all the demands that could be brought against it, and recommended that £3,000,000 should be added to the capital, to enable the directors to discount to such an amount as would accommodate the commercial world.

This was granted and John William in gratitude chose the family motto to go with it "Auctor pretiosa facit" (the giver makes the gift precious).

In addition to St James' Place, Sir John bought a large house on the west side of Clapham Common on 25 May 1787 from Isaac Akerman, and after a short period of residence there let it to W. G. Hamilton MP (known as "Single Speech" Hamilton).

By then known as Battersea Rise, this house was sold in August 1792 to the abolitionist Henry Thornton, who for some years shared it with his cousin and political ally William Wilberforce.

The first is a full-length portrait of him as a young man aged about 18 (see above), which used to be at High Elms in Kent, the family home during the 19th and 20th centuries.

There is also a picture of his young wife dated 1774 by John Downman, which appeared for sale advertised in Country Life magazine.