The
Baring family is a German and British banking family, descended from
Johann (John) Baring (1697–1748), a
wool merchant of
Bremen. He founded a merchant house in
Exeter in 1717. His sons
Francis Baring and
John Baring moved to
London, where they founded the
John and Francis Baring Company, commonly known as
Barings Bank, in 1762. Barings Bank became one of the leading London
merchant banks, and collapsed in 1995. Francis Baring was the father of
Sir Thomas Baring, 2nd Baronet, who was the father of
Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton. Sir Francis Baring, 2nd Baronet was also the father of
Henry Baring and the grandfather of
Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke and
Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer.