£50,000 by that year’s transactions. Yet, as he was unfortunately a director of the South Sea Company, the Parliament was pleased to take from him above £220,000 (nearly one-half being real estate), by a law made ex post facto, which was given for the relief of the proprietors of that company, though they had gained several millions by the scheme, and though it appeared, when his allowance came to be settled in the House of Commons, that he had done many signal services to this nation.” (The writer gave his figures from memory.)
Over the entrance to a vault in Wimbledon Church are engraved the arms of the Janssens, and this inscription, “This vault contains the remains of the body of Sir Theodore Janssen, Bart., once Lord of this Manor, 1748. Likewise Sir Abraham Janssen, Bart, 1765.”
Sir Theodore married Williamse, daughter of Sir Robert Henley, of the Grange, Co. Somerset, Knight (she died in September 1731), and had five sons and three daughters, who survived him. One of the daughters, Barbara, was the wife of Thomas Bladen, M.P. for Ashburton; Mary was married on 20th July 1730 to Charles Calvert, sixth Lord Baltimore, and was the mother of Frederick, seventh Lord Baltimore. Sir Theodore’s sons were:—
- Sir Abraham, second baronet, died at Paris, 19th January 1765.
- Sir Henry, third baronet, died at Paris, February 1766.
- Sir Stephen Theodore, fourth baronet, of whom presently.
- William, married a daughter of James Gaultier.
- Robert.
It will be observed that his three elder sons successively became baronets. The baronetcy expired with the third, who maintained the high character of the family, and I give some incidents in his life.
Stephen Theodore Janssen was a leading London merchant. His signature appears to the merchants’ loyal manifesto, in view of the Rebellion of 1745, and he was considered to have done very good service to the Government at this epoch. In 1747 he was elected one of the Members of Parliament for the city of London. In 1748, the year of his father’s death, he became an alderman. He was Master of the Company of Stationers in 1749 and 1750. He married Catharine, daughter of Colonel Peter Soulegre. The British Chronologist notes:— “1754, Sept. 28. Stephen Theodore Janssen, Esq., alderman and stationer, vice-president of the British Herring Fishery, was elected into the high office of Lord Mayor of London for the year ensuing.”
It was during his Mayoralty that a reverse of fortune threatened him. And soon after, he had to compound with his creditors. He retired to a country house, and on the death of his wife, in 1757, he returned to London, as a lodger — living in the most frugal manner, in order to pay his creditors in full, one after another. The office of Chamberlain of the city of London becoming vacant, he for the same honourable purpose desired its emoluments, and offered himself as a candidate. Of course, there were many competitors, and much “strife of tongues.” But the election terminated in his favour, the numbers at the poll being — Janssen, 1316; Turner, 1202; Till, 250; Ellis, 229; Freeman, 180. Toone’s Chronological Record notes: “1765, January 15. Alderman Janssen was elected Chamberlain of the city of London, in the room of Sir Thomas Harrison, deceased; the poll, which closed on the 19th, gave him 1316 votes; there were five candidates for the office.” The following letter to the Livery of London was issued on 16th January 1765:—
“Gentlemen, — As it has been impossible for the whole of what I said to the Livery of London, on the day of election, and what I intended further to say, could be all got ready for the papers, through the multiplicity of business in which I am engaged, I hope the conclusion of what I intended saying with respect to my debts, on account of which I have been so much traduced, will be satisfactory to my fellow-citizens for the present.
“During the year I had the honour of being Lord Mayor, I met with very unexpected disappointments of considerable sums of money; this occasioned my leaving several debts unpaid contracted during that year. Soon after, a commission issued against me, upon which I laid down my equipage, discharged all my servants except three, and retired with my wife and child to a house of thirty-six per annum, in Hertfordshire. My wife died about two years after. I then took a lodging in town of eighteen shillings a week, and lived there — as I have ever since done — without a servant, although many times afflicted with illness. I may also aver that I have spared myself clothes, and that in my diet I have been as sparing as a mechanic.
“All this while my income has been about £600 per annum, consisting of an annuity of £300 from my late father-in-law, and further allowance from my family. Out of this I can safely say I have not spent more than £120 per annum, and that all the rest has been faithfully paid among my creditors (although not obliged by law, they having signed my certificate),