Francis Baring (1740-1810) was the founder of Baring Brothers and Company, England's oldest merchant bank. Esteemed as a trustworthy and stalwart financier, Baring rose to a position of great influence during the reign of King George III. His wealth grew commensurately with his stature.

An 1810 obituary written by one of his contemporaries, Lord Erskine, in Gentleman's Magazine called him "unquestionably the finest merchant in Europe; first in his knowledge and talents, and first in character and opulence." The Baring firm survived for another 185 years until insider fraud was uncovered in 1995 and the bank collapsed after more than $1 billion in losses. It was a tragic end for a firm whose success had long been attributed to the estimable character of its founder.

Thriving Exeter Merchants

The Baring clan originally came from Germany. Baring's grandfather had been a Lutheran pastor in the north German city of Bremen, but he died...