Paul Docminique (1643–1735), of Spitalfields, London, and Chipstead, Surrey, was a British merchant and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1705 to 1735.

Early life

Docminique was of Huguenot origin. He was baptized on 15 January 1643, the eldest son of Paul Docminique from Lille, France and of Stepney, Middlesex, and his wife Marie Tordereaux from Valenciennes, France. He was naturalized in 1662 and succeeded his father after 1667. He married Alice Edwards, daughter of William Edwards, Clothworker, of London and Newbury, Berkshire, on 22 December 1674. She had died by 1686, when he married as his second wife her cousin Margaret Edwards (died 1734), daughter of Rev. Robert Edwards of Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire.

Career

Docminique was director of the

Company of Scotland The Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies, also called the Scottish Darien Company, was an overseas trading company created by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland in 1695. The Act granted the Company a monopoly of Scottish trade ...

from 1695 to 1696 and became Commissioner for taking subscriptions to the land bank in1696. He was governor of the White Paper Makers’ Company in 1697. In 1704 he purchased Upper Gatton and the manor of Chipstead in Surrey which had control of one parliamentary seat at Gatton. Docminique was returned unopposed as Tory

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for Gatton at the

1705 English general election The 1705 English general election saw contests in 110 constituencies in England and Wales, roughly 41% of the total. The election was fiercely fought, with mob violence and cries of " Church in Danger" occurring in several boroughs. During the pr ...

. He was returned again in

1708 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 1 – Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia, by crossing th ...

and

1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin b ...

He was president of the Society of New Jersey proprietors for 1711 to 1712. At the

1713 general election Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take re ...

he was returned at Gatton unopposed again. In 1714. on the accession of George I, he was appointed a Lord of Trade at the age of 71. Docminique was returned as MP for Gatton again at the

1715 general election Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...

and voted with the Administration in all recorded divisions. He was returned again in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), as ...

and in the following parliament made his only reported speeches which were on the allowances to be made to the South Sea directors and officials from their confiscated estates on 21 June 1721, on the army estimates on 22 January 1724, and on a petition from the victims of one of the 1720 bubbles on 21 February 1724. He was returned for Gatton again in

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

and

1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Province of Georgia, Georgia in North America ...

.. He was one of the most constant attenders at the Board of Trade and continued to participate in meetings of the board until 12 March 1735.

Death and legacy

Docminique died aged 92 on 17 March 1735. He had three sons of whom one predeceased him, and a daughter who predeceased him. His son Charles Docminique was also MP for Gatton.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Docminique, Paul 1643 births 1735 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741