John Dunning - Lord Ashburton
John Dunning (18 October 1731 to 18 August 1783) was born and raised at Gulwell, a house near Ashburton, which was sadly demolished to make way for the A38 dual carriageway.
He attended Ashburton Grammar School based at The Chapel of St Lawrence. After attending Ashburton Grammar School, Dunning became an articled clerk in his father’s law firm. He later became a talented lawyer and politician.
He was not physically attractive: a waiter was once told to deliver a note ‘to the ugliest man at the card table - to him who most resembles the knave of spades’.
Dunning married Elizabeth Baring, sister to Sir Francis and John Baring, who in partnership founded the precursor to Barings Bank which was founded in 1762 (yes, some of you may remember, the very one brought down in 1995 caused by massive losses due fraudulent trading by Nick Leesom).
In 1782, when the marquis of Rockingham became prime minister, Dunning was appointed chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, a rich sinecure and about the same time he was advanced to the peerage, with the title of Lord Ashburton - see Lord Ashburton's Curious Career.
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