▁a ▁major ▁exp orter ▁of ▁Russian ▁goods ▁to ▁Britain ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 3 0 s . ▁As ▁favour ▁at ▁the ▁imperial ▁court ▁changed ▁from ▁ 1 7 4 0 , ▁he ▁moved ▁over ▁to ▁London , ▁where ▁he ▁ran ▁his ▁affairs ▁from ▁offices ▁on ▁Broad ▁Street ▁until ▁his ▁death . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁orig ins ▁▁ ▁Est im ates ▁place ▁Sh iff ner ' s ▁birth ▁and ▁around ▁ 1 6 9 0 . ▁Although ▁spec ulation ▁and ▁rum ours ▁by ▁later ▁gene alog ists ▁made ▁him ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁" an ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁R iga ", ▁Sh iff ner ' s ▁orig ins ▁are ▁obsc ure , ▁though ▁he ▁likely ▁ha iled ▁from ▁a ▁Balt ic ▁German ▁background . ▁ ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁natural ised ▁English ▁Cit izen ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 1 ▁under ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Protest ants ▁Natural ization ▁Act ▁ 1 7 0 8 . ▁Short ly ▁afterwards , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Russian ▁Company , ▁which ▁had , ▁until ▁ 1 6 9 8 , ▁a ▁mon opol y ▁on ▁trade ▁between ▁England ▁and ▁Russia ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁operate ▁successfully ▁for ▁over ▁two ▁centuries ▁afterwards . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Russia ▁and ▁is ▁recorded ▁as ▁a ▁' Post dire ktor ' ▁of ▁R iga ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 0 ; ▁he ▁married ▁into ▁a ▁locally ▁prominent ▁Balt ic ▁German ▁family ▁when ▁he ▁took ▁as ▁his ▁wife ▁Hed wig ▁Ag n ata ▁Bru ining k , ▁daughter ▁of ▁Hein tr ich ▁Bru ining k , ▁a