John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton

John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton (18 October 1731 – 18 August 1783) was an English lawyer and politician. He was first noticed in English politics when he wrote a notice in 1762 defending the British East India Company merchants against their Dutch rivals. He was a Member of Parliament from 1768 onward. His career in the House of Commons is most famous for his Commons motion in 1780 that "the influence of the crown has increased, is increasing, ... more

John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton (18 October 1731 – 18 August 1783) was an English lawyer and politician. He was first noticed in English politics when he wrote a notice in 1762 defending the British East India Company merchants against their Dutch rivals. He was a Member of Parliament from 1768 onward. His career in the House of Commons is most famous for his Commons motion in 1780 that "the influence of the crown has increased, is increasing, and ought to be diminished". He was created Baron Ashburton in 1782. On 31 March 1780, Dunning married Elizabeth Baring (21 July 1744 – 23 February 1809), daughter of the late John Baring and his wife Elizabeth Vowler, and sister of Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet. They had two sons, of whom the elder died April 1783, and the younger son, Richard Barre Dunning (b. 20 September 1782), who succeeded to the title aged nearly 11 months. Lord Dunning himself died 18 August 1783, leaving a widow Elizabeth (who died 1809 aged 64) and a very young son... less