Edward James Eliot | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait byJoshua Reynolds | |
| Member of Parliament forSt Germans | |
| In office 1780–1784 Serving with Dudley Long North | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Langlois John Peachey |
| Succeeded by | John Hamilton Abel Smith |
| Member of Parliament forLiskeard | |
| In office 1784–1797 Serving with John Eliot | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Salt Wilbraham Tollemache |
| Succeeded by | John Eliot The Earl of Inchiquin |
| Baron Eliot | |
| In office 1804–1797 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Craggs-Eliot |
| Succeeded by | John Eliot |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 August 1758 Port Eliot, Cornwall |
| Died | 20 September 1797(1797-09-20) (aged 39) Port Eliot, Cornwall |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | John Eliot (brother) William Eliot (brother) William Pitt the Elder (father-in-law) |
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Cambridge |
Edward James Eliot (24 August 1758 – 20 September 1797) was an English Member of Parliament.
Eliot was born inCornwall, the son of Catherine (c.1735–1804), daughter and heir of Edward Elliston of Gestingthorpe, Essex, an East India Company captain, andEdward Craggs-Eliot (1727–1804), politician, created Baron Eliot in 1784.[1]
He went toPembroke College, Cambridge in 1775, becoming friends with the futurePrime Minister,William Pitt the Younger, and graduated with an MA in 1780.[2] He was electedMember of Parliament forSt Germans, Cornwall from 1780 and forLiskeard from 1784. He soon became aTreasuryminister from 1782, and was a member of thegovernment of the Younger Pitt from 1783, being appointedKing's Remembrancer in theExchequer of pleas in 1785.[1]
On 24 September 1785 he married Harriot Pitt, the younger daughter ofWilliam Pitt the Elder and sister to the Younger Pitt. One year later, and five days after the birth of their only child, a daughter named Harriot Hester, Eliot's wife died as a result of complication from childbirth. Eliot never recovered from the grief of losing his wife.[1]
After Harriot's death, Eliot moved to Broomfield, nearClapham, where he came into contact with theClapham Sect of evangelical reformers, whose cause he espoused. He had been a friend ofWilliam Wilberforce for some years, and the pair of them had accompanied Pitt toFrance. Now he found himself living close to Wilberforce and other leading members of the group dubbed 'the Saints'. He began to take an active part in their reforming causes, including theabolition of theslave trade,prison reform andpoor relief, the Proclamation Society, andBishop Porteus' Sunday Observance bill. He was active in lobbying the cause of the Clapham Sect in parliament and acted as amediator between Wilberforce and Pitt in their campaigns.
The 1792 Slave Trade Bill passed the House of Commons mangled and mutilated by the modifications and amendments ofPitt,Earl of Mornington, Edward James Eliot andthe Attorney General, it lay for years, in the House of Lords.[3][4]
In 1793, having resigned from the Treasury on health grounds, Eliot was appointed joint commissioner for Indian affairs. He became an investor in theBritish East India Company stock, and was expected to become governor-general ofBengal. However, he suffered from a recurring chronic stomach disorder which made it impossible for him to take up that office.[1]
Eliot died atPort Eliot, Cornwall on 17 September 1797, and was buried at St Germans on 26 September 1797. (True Briton, London Newspaper, Tuesday, 26 Sept 1797. The church record for EJE's burial was apparently entered belatedly, when his burial date was entered as 3 October 1797. His true death date can be found on the silver plaque at St Germans Church.)[5] He had remained close to Pitt and Wilberforce, who both lamented his passing. His brotherJohn succeeded to the barony and in 1815 was createdEarl of St Germans.[1]
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSt Germans 1780–1784 With:Dudley Long North | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLiskeard 1784–1797 With:John Eliot | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSt Germans 1790 With:Marquess of Lorne | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | King's Remembrancer 1785–1797 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
