John Denison (born John Wilkinson; 1758? – 6 May 1820) was Member of Parliament for the English constituencies of Wootton Bassett (1796-1802), Colchester (1802-1806), and Minehead (1807-1812). He was the second son of John Wilkinson, factor at Blackwell Hall in London for Potterton, West Riding of Yorkshire, and his wife Anne née Denison. His mother's brother, Robert Denison (died 1782) of Ossington, Nottinghamshire, a woollen merchant in Leeds, bequeathed to him his business interests and his estates in County Durham, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire on condition that he adopted the surname Denison; which he did on 16 April 1785. Robert's fortune was said to have amounted to £700,000; of the order of £84 million in 2020 money. This new wealth made John a figure of considerable