Constituency : Portsmouth 1826-65
Francis was the son and heir of the baronet Thomas Baring of the famous banking family. He was born in India and educated at Eton and Oxford. He became a barrister. He entered Parliament in 1826 and served as a whip for the whole term of Grey's government ( he was married to Grey's neice ) . In 1829 he became involved in a rather trivial local matter when an agitator was arrested, acquitted and then sued him for wrongful arrest, Francis eventually involving the whole Commons in defending himself on the matter. He was promoted to Financial Secretary of the Treasury by Melbourne and then Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1839. It was his proposal to cut the tariff on slave-produced sugar that brought about the fall of the Melbourne government in 1841. He declined Russell's offer of a return to the Treasury preferring to chair a select committee on finance. He did not rejoin the Cabinet until 1849 when he became First Lord of the Admiralty. He complained of Palmerston's "constant employment of our ships to support our diplomatic agents ". In 1851 he was involved in more local controversy when he was accused of sabotaging the application of the Public Health Act to Portsmouth. Palmerston offered him a return to the Chancellorship when Gladstone resigned in 1855 but he declined.
His friend Le Marchant said of him "His manner was cold and his disposition reserved, so that he had few friends or even political followers , but no man was more respected and trusted by those who had to deal with him , as was shown when he came into high office. He had a clear head and considerable powers of reasoning, and was a sound and well informed financier. In the diligent performance of his duties he had no superior."
Francis stood down in 1865 and was created Baron Northbrook (an honour he had previously refused twice ) a year later.
He died a few months later of a stroke at the age of 70.
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