I quote two sentences:— “This good man had a great deal of that hundred-fold which our Saviour-promised even in this life to those who forsook their houses, lands and families for His sake. This entail descended on him from his father.” “He looked on the Reformed Churches, by reason of the unreformed lives of the members of them, with great regret.” The Bishop dedicated the sermon “To Peter, James, John, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Jeremiah, sons of James Houblon.”
With regard to Peter Houblon, the following advertisement appeared in the London Gazette, 11th Aug. 1747, “The creditors and legatees of Peter Houblon of the parish of St Peter, Cheap : London, merchant, (who died upwards of forty years ago), whose debts and legacies remain unsatisfied, are desired forthwith to send an account of their respective demands to Henry Coulthurst, perfumer in Fleet Street near St Dunstan’s church, London, in order to receive satisfaction for such demands.”
The second son of James was Sir James Houblon, M.P. for London in 1698. He was an intimate friend of Samuel Pepys, the diarist (born 1663, died 1703), who has recorded that “James Houblon told me I was the only happy man of the Navy, of whom (he says) during all this freedom the people hath taken to speaking treason, he hath not heard one bad word of me.” He wrote a letter in behalf of his friend (dated London, Aug. 8, 1683) : “Mr Richard Gough. This goes by my deare friend, Mr Pepys, who is embarqued on board the Grafton Man-of-warr commanded by our Lord Dartmouth who is Admiral of the King’s fleet for this expedition . . . . If his occasions require any money, you will furnish him what he desires, placing it to my account. I am your loving friend, James Huublon.” Sir James had two sons Wynne and James, to whom Pepys’ executors presented their father’s, mother’s and grandfather’s portraits.
The third son of the elder James was Sir John Houblon, first Governor of the Bank of England, Lord Mayor of London in 1695, and a Lord of the Admiralty, M.P. for Bodmyn. He was the father of Rev. Jacob Houblon, Rector of Moreton.
The present Houblon family descends from Jacob, the fourth son of the elder James and Mary Du Cane his wife. Deferring our notice of him, we state on the authority of an authentic manuscript pedigree, that there were originally ten brothers; and when we collate the names with those prefixed to the Funeral Sermon, we conclude that, in the lifetime of the elder James, three died, viz., Daniel (the 7th), Benjamin (the 8th), and Samuel (the 9th). Jeremiah was the tenth; of him as well as of Isaac (the 5th) I have no account.
The sixth son of the elder James was Abraham Houblon, Esq., of Langley in Middlesex who died on 11th May 1722 in his 83d year. He was the father of Sir Richard, and of Anne, wife of Henry Temple, first Viscount Palmerston. The Political State of Great Britain contains the following notice:— “Died, 13 Oct. 1724, Sir Richard Houblon, who left the bulk of his estate to his sister Lady Palmerston, and to Mrs Jacob Houblon.” [On 2d Dec. 1723 “Samuel Houblon, Esq.” died suddenly.]
Returning to Jacob, the fourth son of the elder James, we identify him as the Rev. Jacob Houblon, Rector of Bobbingworth, who had three daughters Anne, Elizabeth and Hannah, and two sons, of whom Jacob died without issue. Charles, the survivor, married Mary Bale, and was father of Jacob Houblon, Esq., who married Mary daughter of Sir John Hynde Cotton, Bart., grandfather of Jacob, who married Susannah, heiress of John Archer, Esq., and great-grandfather of John Archer Houblon, Esq., of Hallingbury and Welford, M.P. for Essex. The last-named gentleman died on ist June 1832, and is represented by his eldest son and namesake John Archer Houblon, Esq., of Hallingbury and Culverthorpe, and by his second son, Charles Eyre, Esq., of Welford (Berks). The latter has a son and heir, George Bramston Eyre, Esq.
The English houses of Du Cane spring from a good refugee named Du Quesne. Jean Du Quesne fled to England from the Duke of Alva’s persecution; he had a son and grandson, each named Jean Du Quesne; the latter was born 31st January 1600, and married Esther daughter of Samuel de la Place, “ministre de la parole de Dieu.” The sister of this third
