Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-08-30
The Barring Family.

Barring family. are taken from the forthcoming
work of Vincent Nolte, the great fnancier and
! traveller:
A close examination into the origin of the Ba-
ring family traces it back toa certain Peter Ba-
ring, who lived in the years from 1860 to 1870,
at Groniagen, in the Dutch province ofOveryssel.
One of his ancestors, under the name of Francis
Barring, was pastor of the Lutheran church at Bre-
men, and in that capacity was called to London,
where, among others, he had son named John.
The latter, well acquainted with cloth making,
settled at Lirkbeer, in Devonshire, and there put
up an establishment for the manufacture of that
article. He had five children---lour sons, John,
Thomas. Francis, Charles, and daughter called
Elizabeth. Two of these sons, John and Fran
els. established themselves under the firm of John
s. Francis Barring, at London. originally with a
view of facilitating their fathers trade in dspos-
ing Of his goods, and so as to be in a position TO
import the raw material 10 be required, such as
wool, dye stuffs, Sc, themselves directly from a
broad. Thus was established the house which,
after the withdrawal of the elder brother John,
who retired to Exetcr-gradualy under the firm
name of Francis Barring s. Co., and eventually,
under the lirm-name Of Barring, Brothers s. Co.,
rose to the highest rank of mercantile eminence in
the commerce of the world.
Sir Francis, who, under the Ministry Of the
Count Shelburn, father of the present Marquis of
Lansdowne, had become his intimate friend and
adviser in financial matters, having in the year
1893 received the title of -Baronet, was already
styled by the latter the Prince of Merchants. -
He had become somewhat feeble. and very deaf,
when first got personally acquainted with him.
On the occasion of one of my visits TO him, he
told me that he had kept at his business for thirty
years before he considered himself entitled TO keep
an equipage. Upon another occasion, when |
spoke TO him of my project in establishing myself
in New Orleans, after the termination of my mis-
sion, he remarked: Casually, my young friend,
that commission business is the best in which the
commissions take this direction"-here he made
motion with his hands as if throwing something
towards him. but where the business goes thus!"
motioning as if he were throwing something from
him. This amounted to saying, in other words,
that receiving cOnsignments was better business
than executing commissions. Three of his sons,
| Thomas, Alexander, and Henry, entered the
London establishment; but the first, who was In
tended to have carried on the fathers name, alter
the death of the latter on the 18th Of September,
! 1910, assumed the name of Sir Thomas, and
withdrew from the house, as the third also found
occasion to do at a later period. The latter was
passonately fond of play, and INDUCED in it with
50 much success that he several times broke En-
tterprse Generate des Jeux," of Paris. But the
sight of one of the heads of such a house, one
night after another, in the great gambling estab-
| lishments, produced bad effect; and even if it
did not impair his credit. it in no slight degree
damaged his rcspectability. This was felt at
headquarters, aud an understanding was come to
TOR his withdrawal from the firm.
| lIovopdor r;n,r tho eooonJ eor of Cir Il
els, had received portion of his education in Ha-
nau, had then completed it in England, and com
menced his mercantile career in the house of
NIessrs Hope, where friendship sprung up be
tween him and Mr.. p. &. Labouchere which led
To the latter's marriage q. later period with his
sister, Maria Barring. Wnen Messrs. Hope reti-
red to England, in consequence of the occupation
of Holland by the revolutionary French army.
under Pichegru, and after Alexander Barring had
left the House he determined to visit the United
States Of North America. At his departure his
father confined his advice to two especial recon-
mendations, one of which was to purchase no IN
cultivated land, and the other not to marry wife
there because" said he, "uncultvated lands
can he more readily bought than sold again; and
wife is best suited to the home in which she
was raised, and cannot be formed or trained Sc
cond time" However, Alexander had not pass
ed one year in the United States before he forgot
both branches Of his fathers advice.
Not only did he purchase large tracts in the
western part of the State Of Pennsylvania and lay
out not otinconsderable capital (sl00, 900 at leas
in the then district and now State Of Maine. and
that, too, under the annexed condition of bringing
a number of settlers thither within certain term
years. but also, in 1893, when just twenty four
years of age, he married Anna, the eldest daugh
ter of Mr.. William Bingham. in Philadelphia.
who was at that time considered the richest man
in the United States. and was then member of
the Senate. The inheritance he had to thank her
sat the death Of her father. amounted to S900,
| 600. She bore him nine children, of which sew
Ell are still living. The eldest of these, called
William Bingham, after his grandfather, is the
present Lord Ashburton, and has reached the age
OF fifty three. His wife is Lady Sandwich, and
their marriage has remained chdess. After his
death, his title, along with the greater part Of his
fortune, will pass TO the second Francis, who
is married to daughter of the Duke Bassano a
former State Secretary of Napoleon. This gen
tleman usually resides at Paris. and is the eldest
head of the London house. in the management Of
whose business, however, he seliom takes any ac-
tive part. He has two sons. The favorie, from
the first, of his father and mother, both title and
fortune will pass entirely according to their wish
es into the hands of him who, in their eyes, de-
served the preference.