Edward Craggs-Eliot, 1st Baron Eliot (born 'Edward Eliot'
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
on 8 July 1727 – 17 February 1804
Port EliotPort Eliot in St Germans, Cornwall, is the seat of the Eliot family, current head of which is Peregrine Eliot, 10th Earl of St Germans. Port Eliot comprises a house with its own churchoriginally the cathedral for the whole of Cornwallset in a estate which extends into the neighbouring villages of...
,
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
) was born to Richard Eliot (c.1694 – 19 November 1748) and Harriot Craggs (c.1704 – January 1769), the illegitimate daughter of the Privy Counsellor and
Secretary of StateIn the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
,
James CraggsJames Craggs the Younger , son of James Craggs the Elder, was born at Westminster. Part of his early life was spent abroad, where he made the acquaintance of George Louis, Elector of Hanover, afterwards King George I...
(9 April 1686 – 2 March 1721) and
Hester SantlowHester Santlow was a noted British dancer and actress, who has been termed "England's first ballerina." She was influential in many spheres of theatrical life.-Life:...
, the noted actress.
In 1742, he matriculated at
St Mary Hall, OxfordSt Mary Hall was an academic hall of the University of Oxford dating from 1326, which survived as an independent institution until 1902 when it merged with Oriel College.- History :In 1320, Adam de Brome was appointed rector of St Mary the Virgin...
but did not graduate.
Edward Craggs-Eliot, 1st Baron Eliot (born 'Edward Eliot'
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
on 8 July 1727 – 17 February 1804
Port EliotPort Eliot in St Germans, Cornwall, is the seat of the Eliot family, current head of which is Peregrine Eliot, 10th Earl of St Germans. Port Eliot comprises a house with its own churchoriginally the cathedral for the whole of Cornwallset in a estate which extends into the neighbouring villages of...
,
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
) was born to Richard Eliot (c.1694 – 19 November 1748) and Harriot Craggs (c.1704 – January 1769), the illegitimate daughter of the Privy Counsellor and
Secretary of StateIn the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
,
James CraggsJames Craggs the Younger , son of James Craggs the Elder, was born at Westminster. Part of his early life was spent abroad, where he made the acquaintance of George Louis, Elector of Hanover, afterwards King George I...
(9 April 1686 – 2 March 1721) and
Hester SantlowHester Santlow was a noted British dancer and actress, who has been termed "England's first ballerina." She was influential in many spheres of theatrical life.-Life:...
, the noted actress.
In 1742, he matriculated at
St Mary Hall, OxfordSt Mary Hall was an academic hall of the University of Oxford dating from 1326, which survived as an independent institution until 1902 when it merged with Oriel College.- History :In 1320, Adam de Brome was appointed rector of St Mary the Virgin...
but did not graduate. During 1747–1748, he travelled in
Continental EuropeContinental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and, at times, peninsulas. Notably, in British and Irish English usage, the term means Europe excluding the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Channel...
, principally
HollandRotterdam
The Hague
Haarlem
Dordrecht |} Holland is a name in common usage given to a region in the western part of the Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often informally used to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
and
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
. On 19 November 1748 he succeeded his father. From 1748–1768 he was
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
for
St GermansSt Germans is a village in east Cornwall, England. It stands on the St Germans River or Lynher River, part of the Tamar Estuary. It takes its name from the St. German's Priory Church of St Germanus. This magnificent and ancient Norman church is adjacent to the Port Eliot estate of the present Earl...
,
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
, the place of his family estate
Port EliotPort Eliot in St Germans, Cornwall, is the seat of the Eliot family, current head of which is Peregrine Eliot, 10th Earl of St Germans. Port Eliot comprises a house with its own churchoriginally the cathedral for the whole of Cornwallset in a estate which extends into the neighbouring villages of...
. In succession, he became
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
(MP) for
LiskeardLiskeard was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.- History :...
(1768–1774), for
St GermansSt Germans was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
(1774–1775), and for
CornwallCornwall is a former county constituency covering the county of Cornwall, in the South West of England. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
(1775–1784).
In 1751, Edward was appointed
Receiver GeneralA Receiver General is, generally speaking, an officer responsible for accepting payments from institutions on behalf of a government, and for making payments to a government on behalf of other parties. Receiver General is typically an alternative title for a Treasurer....
of the
Duchy of CornwallThe duchy of Cornwall is, with the duchy of Lancaster, one of the two royal duchies in the United Kingdom. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne...
. From 1760 until 1776, Edward was one of the eight Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, and in 1775 he again became
Receiver GeneralA Receiver General is, generally speaking, an officer responsible for accepting payments from institutions on behalf of a government, and for making payments to a government on behalf of other parties. Receiver General is typically an alternative title for a Treasurer....
of the Duchy. However, in 1776 he notably voted against the employment of
HessianHesse is a state of Germany with an area of and just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden. Hesse's largest city is nearby Frankfurt am Main.Hesse contributes the largest share to the Rhine Main Area....
Troops, and resigned from the
Board of Trade and PlantationsThe Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
, and from the government.
On 13 January 1784 he was formally created 1st Baron Eliot of St Germans, and he took his seat in the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
on 2 February 1784. In 1789 he changed his surname from Eliot to Craggs-Eliot, presumably to prevent the extinction of the Craggs surname. However, his children generally used the surname Eliot.
Edward was an acquaintance of Dr Samuel Johnson and a patron of Sir
Joshua ReynoldsSir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an important and influential 18th century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealisation of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
.
Edward married on 25 September 1756 to Catherine Elliston (September 1735 – 23 February 1804), daughter of Captain Edward Elliston and Catherine Gibbon, the aunt of
Edward GibbonEdward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788...
.
Edward and Catherine had four children:
- Edward James Eliot (9 August 1757 – September 1757)
- Edward James Eliot
Edward James Eliot , Member of Parliament, was born in Cornwall, the son of Edward Craggs-Eliot , politician, created Baron Eliot in 1784....
(24 August 1758 – 20 September 1797)
- John Eliot, 1st Earl of St Germans
John Eliot, 1st Earl of St Germans , known as the Lord Eliot from 1804 to 1815, was a British politician....
(30 September 1761 – 17 November 1823)
- William Eliot, 2nd Earl of St Germans
William Eliot, 2nd Earl of St Germans , known as William Elliot until 1823, was a British diplomat and politician....
(1 April 1767 – 19 January 1845)
Edward died at his
Port EliotPort Eliot in St Germans, Cornwall, is the seat of the Eliot family, current head of which is Peregrine Eliot, 10th Earl of St Germans. Port Eliot comprises a house with its own churchoriginally the cathedral for the whole of Cornwallset in a estate which extends into the neighbouring villages of...
estate on 17 February 1804, and was buried at
St GermansSt Germans is a village in east Cornwall, England. It stands on the St Germans River or Lynher River, part of the Tamar Estuary. It takes its name from the St. German's Priory Church of St Germanus. This magnificent and ancient Norman church is adjacent to the Port Eliot estate of the present Earl...
,
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...