William Johnson (MP for Aldeburgh)

He went to Bengal as a factor for the East India Company and sometime after 1683, he returned to England and established himself as a merchant, trading to Africa and the Peninsula.

[1] He bought Mandeville's Manor, Sternfield, near Aldeburgh,[2] but lived mainly near the shipyard inherited by his brother Henry at Blackwall.

At the 1689 English general election, he was returned as Tory Member of Parliament for Aldeburgh on the interest of his brother Henry.

He was not active in the Convention Parliament, but served on six committees including one to consider the management of the East India trade, one for the bill for restoring corporations, and one on a petition from the Royal Africa Company.

He was returned unopposed for Aldeburgh at the 1695 English general election and was appointed on 20 February to prepare a bill to regulate the East India Company.

As a Tory, he supported the motion of 26 February 1702 to vindicate the Commons’ proceedings over the impeachment of the Whig ministers in the previous session.

[3] Johnson's brother Henry having inherited their father's ship building yard at Blackwall, ran it using a succession of managers.