He married twice. His first marriage was on 10 September 1775 to Margaret Taubman (d. 1778), the daughter of
John Taubman,
Speaker of the House of Keys, of Castletown,
Isle of Man, with whom he had a son: Workington Hall, now ruined after a wartime fire, is a
Grade I listed building. Together, John and Isabella were the parents of five sons and three daughters, including: He died on 11 December 1828 in financial difficulties because of increased costs and reduced profits from his coal mines and was buried in an unmarked grave in Workington. At his death, he owed £118,334 and only £16,579 was owed to him. ==References==