Sir John Eyles, 2nd Baronet

Sir John Eyles, 2nd Baronet (1683 – 11 March 1745) of Gidea Hall, Essex, was a British financier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1713 to 1734. He was Lord Mayor of London in 1726.

Sir John Eyles, 2nd Baronet
Member of the Great Britain Parliament for Chippenham
In office 1713–1727 Serving with John Norris 1713–1715 Giles Earle 1715–1722 Edward Rolt 1722–1723 Thomas Boucher 1723–1727
Preceded by	Francis Popham Sir James Long
Succeeded by	Rogers Holland Gabriel Roberts
Member of the Great Britain Parliament for City of London
In office 1727–1734 Serving with Sir John Barnard Micajah Perry Humphry Parsons
Preceded by	Richard Lockwood Sir John Barnard Francis Child Richard Hopkins
Succeeded by	Robert Willimot Sir John Barnard Micajah Perry Humphry Parsons
Lord Mayor of London
In office 1726–1727
Preceded by	Sir Francis Forbes
Succeeded by	Sir Edward Becher
Personal details
Born	1683
Died	(1745-03-11)11 March 1745
Resting place	St Helen's Bishopsgate
Political party	Whig
Father	Sir Francis Eyles, 1st Baronet
Relatives	Joseph Eyles (brother)

Early life

Eyles was the second but eldest surviving son of Sir Francis Eyles, 1st Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of London merchant Richard Ayley. He married his cousin, Mary Haskin Styles, the daughter of Joseph Haskin Stiles by Sarah Eyles, the daughter of Sir John Eyles, elder brother of the first baronet.[1] His younger brother was Joseph Eyles, MP.

Career

Eyles was a Director of the East India Company from 1710 to 1714. He was elected as Whig Member of Parliament for Chippenham at the 1713 general election.[2] From 1715 to 1717 he was a director of the Bank of England. He was elected MP for Chippenham again at the 1715 general election and voted consistently with the government. He succeeded to his father's baronetcy on 24 May 1716 and became Master of the Haberdashers Company and Alderman of Vintry on 19 June 1716.[3] Also in 1716, he was appointed one of the commissioners to oversee estates forfeited to the Crown during the unsuccessful Jacobite rising of 1715, a post he held until 1725.[4]

From 1717 to 1721 Eyles served another term as Director of the East India Company. He was appointed Sheriff of London for 1720.[1] He was also appointed a sub-governor of the South Sea Company in February 1721 in the aftermath of the South Sea Bubble. At the 1722 general election he was returned unopposed at Chippenham. He was knighted in December 1724 and served as Lord Mayor of London for the year 1726 to 1727. At the 1727 general election he was elected MP for the City of London.[2]

At the 1734 general election Eyles did not stand for the City of London and was defeated at Chippenham.[2] He became alderman for Bridge Without (a ward previously represented by his father) from 22 July 1737.[3] He was also appointed president of St. Thomas's Hospital in 1737, and Joint Postmaster-General in 1739, holding both posts for the rest of his life.[1]

Gidea Hall

Gidea Hall, Essex in 1908

Eyles purchased the estate of Gidea Hall, in Havering, demolished the old mansion there in 1720, and built a new "elegant" house.[5]

In 1731, Eyles was the dedicatee of George Lillo's tragedy The London Merchant, a play later excerpted in French by Abbé Prévost who had served as Sir John's secretary and tutor to his son Francis.

Death and legacy

Eyles' wife died on 14 November 1735, and was buried at St Helen's Bishopsgate 9 days later. He died on 11 March 1745. Together they had two children, a boy and a girl and he was succeeded by his only son, Francis.[1]

References

1. Cokayne, George Edward (1906) Complete Baronetage. Volume V. Exeter: W. Pollard & Co. LCCN 06-23564. p. 22
2. "EYLES, John (c.1683-1745), of London". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 22 October 2018.
3. "Chronological list of aldermen: 1701-1800". British History Online. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
4. "EYLES, John (1683–1745), of Gidea Hall, Essex". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 22 October 2018.
5. Waylen, James; Goddard, E. H. A History, Military and Municipal of the Ancient Borough of the Devizes. London: Longman, Brown & co., 1859, p. 372.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Francis Popham Sir James Long	Member of Parliament for Chippenham 1713–1727 With: John Norris 1713–1715 Giles Earle 1715–1722 Edward Rolt 1722–1723 Thomas Boucher 1723–1727	Succeeded by Rogers Holland Gabriel Roberts
Preceded by Richard Lockwood Sir John Barnard Francis Child Richard Hopkins	Member of Parliament for the City of London 1727–1734 With: Sir John Barnard Micajah Perry Humphry Parsons	Succeeded by Robert Willimot Sir John Barnard Micajah Perry Humphry Parsons
Civic offices
Preceded by Sir Francis Forbes	Lord Mayor of London 1726–1727	Succeeded by Sir Edward Becher
Baronetage of Great Britain
Preceded by Francis Eyles	Baronet 1716–1745	Succeeded by Francis Eyles-Stiles