Sir Benjamin Hammet (''c.'' 173622 July 1800) was an English businessman, banker and politician, who served as Member of Parliament from

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

(1782–1800), and as High Sheriff of London. Contemporary accounts state that he was a

footman A footman is a male domestic worker employed mainly to wait at table or attend a coach or carriage. Etymology Originally in the 14th century a footman denoted a soldier or any pedestrian, later it indicated a foot servant. A running footman deli ...

, son of a Taunton

barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

, who courted and married Louisa Esdaile, the sister-in-law of his master John 'Vulture' Hopkins. Louisa was the daughter of Sir James Esdaile, a rich banker; and Hammet's success as a banker and

building contractor A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...

was credited to the influence and funding provided by his father-in-law, who on the occasion of their marriage settled £5,000 on the bride. Hammet was elected as

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

(a title which his father-in-law had held previously) in 1797, but paid a £1,000 penalty rather than serve (pleading ill health). He died 22 July 1800 at Castle Maelgwyn, his Welsh estate. Upon his death, his son John Hammet succeeded him as M.P., and would hold that seat until his own death in 1811.Thorne, R.G. "Taunton" in ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820'' (R. Thorne, ed.) Somerset:Haynes Publishing, 1986
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References

Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Taunton Sheriffs of the City of London Aldermen of the City of London British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 English bankers British construction businesspeople 1730s births 1800 deaths Year of birth uncertain {{England-business-bio-stub