John Henry Loft

General
John Henry Loft

Portrait of John Henry Loft
Born (1769-02-20)20 February 1769
Grainthorpe, Lincolnshire, England
Died 13 July 1849(1849-07-13) (aged 80)
Loft Street, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England
Burial place Marshchapel
Nationality British
Occupation Soldier
Known for Corrupt politics, transcribing Lincolnshire graves
Spouse(s) Elizabeth Farr

John Henry Loft (20 February 1769 – 13 July 1849) was a British soldier and politician.

Early life

Loft was born on 20 February 1769, in Grainthorpe, Lincolnshire.[1]

Military career

In 1769 he enlisted in the 15th Regiment of Foot and had been promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel within four years, of an unattached Corps of 4,000 men which he had raised himself.[2]

Political career

Loft was the member of Parliament for Great Grimsby [3] and was much involved with recruiting during the Napoleonic Wars. He was a controversial but influential figure in the development of Grimsby as a port, being one of the original shareholders named in the act of parliament which created the Grimsby Haven Company in 1796.[4]

The antiquarian

Between around 1826 and 1844, Loft obsessively recorded details of churches, gravestones and memorials around Lincolnshire, many of which have survived and become a useful resource for historians.[5]

Death and legacy

Loft died on 13 July 1849, in a house on Loft Street, Grimsby, which had been named after him.[6]

References

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Ayscoghe Boucherett
William Mellish
Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby
1802–1803
With: Ayscoghe Boucherett
Succeeded by
Ayscoghe Boucherett
William Mellish
Preceded by
Hon. Charles Anderson-Pelham
William Ellice
Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby
1808–1812
With: William Ellice
Succeeded by
John Peter Grant
Sir Robert Heron, 2nd Baronet


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