John Bence

Who was John Bence?

John Bence was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 1688.

Bence was the eldest son of Alexander Bence of Aldeburgh, Suffolk and London and his first wife Anne Aylett of Rendham, Suffolk. He was baptised on 3 October 1622. He was a merchant trading with Portugal, Brazil and the Levant. In 1659, he was elected Member of Parliament for Aldeburgh in the Third Protectorate Parliament.

In 1662, Bence went into partnership with Sir Martin Noel as farmer of additional customs duties on wine, tobacco, silk and linen. He succeeded to the property of his father in 1663. He invested £1,500 in the Royal Adventurers into Africa Company, and became secretary of the company by 1665. He was commissioner for assessment for London from 1664 to 1680. He became alderman of London in 1664 and paid £720 to be excused from the office in 1665. He was assistant of the Worshipful Company of Grocers from 1664 to 1687. In 1665 he was appointed with his brother, Sir Alexander Bence of Dublin, as joint receiver of crown rents from all lands in Ireland returned to Roman Catholic proprietors or in which the Adventurers were concerned. He was warden of the Grocers Company from 1667 to 1668 and master of the Grocers Company from 1668 to 1669.