April 29th Thomas 'Diamond' Pitt (Death)

Dorset – born Thomas Pitt (1653 – 1726) made his fortune as an independent trader, a so-called  ‘interloper’ in India which was illegal since the East India Company had been given a complete monopoly on trade in Madras. 

On his return to England, as an extremely wealthy man he purchased the manor of Stratford in Wiltshire giving himself patronage of the borough’s Commons seat.  

In 1698, Pitt returned to Madras as the President of the East India Company and also became governor of Governor of Fort St. George when he began garrisoning all of the East India encampments with regiments of local sepoys as well as securing ownership of five other towns. At the same time, Pitt also selected himself as the Member of Parliament for Old Sarum.   

Pitt returned to England in 1709 and in 1716 was appointed Governor of Jamaica. However he had become one of the richest men in the country with the sale of a number of gems cut from a, 410 carat, diamond with the largest, the Regent Diamond, sold for then enormous sum of £135,000 to the French Royal Family which became part of the French Crown jewels. 

Pitt resigned the governorship without ever visiting Jamaica and used his additional wealth to purchase the Boconnoc mansion and estate, which had been the scene of much activity in the Civil War, from the widow of Lord Mohun.  

Married to Jane Innes on January 1st 1690, Pitt had at least six children including Robert Pitt, the father and grandfather of the Prime Ministers, William Pitt the Elder and Younger, respectively.

 

 

 
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