John Teed (c. 1770 – before 1837) was an English merchant, banker, and politician. Born to a family from

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, by around 1804 Teed was established as a ship agent, banker, and merchant in

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

. In 1806 he unsuccessfully sought election to Parliament from

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

, a

rotten borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...

in nearby

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, along with Admiral

Alexander Cochrane Admiral of the Blue Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane (born Alexander Forrester Cochrane; 23 April 1758 – 26 January 1832) was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars and achieved the rank of admiral. He had previously captain ...

. In 1808 he achieved election from another rotten borough,

Grampound Grampound ( kw, Ponsmeur) is a village in Cornwall, England. It is at an ancient crossing point of the River Fal and today is on the A390 road west of St Austell and east of Truro.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' ...

, with the support of Grampound patron Christopher Hawkins, but was unseated two months later after a petition by the other candidates, two more Cochranes (George Cochrane and

Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone Andrew James Cochrane-Johnstone (24 May 1767 – 21 August 1833) was a Scottish soldier, politician, swindler and adventurer who was found guilty of participation in the Great Stock Exchange Fraud of 1814. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Lif ...

), financed by a fourth brother, the nabob

Basil Cochrane Basil Cochrane (22 April 1753 – 12 or 14 August 1826 in Paris, France) was a Scottish civil servant, businessman, inventor, and wealthy nabob of early-19th-century England. Early life The sixth son of Scottish nobleman and politician Thomas ...

. Teed ultimately deserted the Hawkins interest and was elected anew in 1812 with Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone, serving until 1818. Teed was a reliable supporter of the Tory government of the

Earl of Liverpool Earl of Liverpool is a title that has been created twice in British history. The first time was in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1796 for Charles Jenkinson, 1st Baron Hawkesbury, a favourite of King George III (see Jenkinson baronets for e ...

until 1817; after his defeat in the 1818 election in Grampound he helped expose corruption in the elections there, testifying against

Manasseh Masseh Lopes Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes, 1st Baronet (27 January 1755 – 26 March 1831), of Maristow in the parish of Tamerton Foliot, Devon, was a British Member of Parliament and borough-monger. Parliamentary career Born in Jamaica, Lopes was a member of ...

. The revelations led to the suppression of the Grampound constituency in 1821.

Family

Teed married Hannah Godfrey (d. 1855) c. 1793; they had at least 3 sons and 2 daughters. His son John Godfrey Teed (1794-1871) became a barrister at Gray's Inn,

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

, and a judge of the Lincoln County court.Lord Byron and his times website, entry John Godfrey Teed
/ref> Thomas Teed (1797-1843) became a lawyer in India; he was the father of writer and philanthropist Ellen Hollond. Henry Cowd Teed (d. 1831) married Frances Marie, a daughter of jurist William Rothery, in 1823, but she died the following year; in 1829 he remarried to a woman named Maria Robertson.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teed, John Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Cornwall UK MPs 1807–1812 UK MPs 1812–1818