Sir John Easthope, 1st Baronet MP (29 October 1784 – 11 December 1865) was a politician and journalist. Easthope, born at

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town grew following the construction of Tewkesbury Abbey in the twelfth century and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. It stands at ...

on 29 October 1784, was the eldest son of barge master Thomas Easthope by Elizabeth, daughter of John Leaver of Overbury, Worcestershire. The Easthope family had been long settled at

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the United Kingd ...

, Shropshire, until Easthope's grandfather, also Thomas, settled at Tewkesbury. Easthope was originally a clerk in a provincial bank, and came to London to push his fortune. In 1818, in partnership with Mr. Allen, he became a stockbroker at 9 Exchange Buildings,

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

, and engaged in a series of speculations by which in the course of a few years he is said to have realised upwards of 150,000 Pounds. By 1838 the business was known as Easthope and Son, although his son was to die in France in 1849. He was a magistrate for

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

and

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, chairman of the

London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway (LSWR, sometimes written L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exete ...

for 1837–1840, a director of the

Canada Land Company Canada Lands Company Limited () is a self-financing federal Crown corporation reporting to the Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada () is the Canadian federalism, federal legislature of Canada. The Monarchy of Canada, Crown, along ...

, and chairman of the Mexican Mining Company. He unsuccessfully contested

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

in the Whig interest on 9 June 1821, but was elected and sat for that borough from 1826 to 1830. In 1831 he was returned for

Banbury Banbury is an historic market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. The parish had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding ...

; in 1835 contested without success

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

and

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...

, and sat for

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

from 1837 until his retirement from parliamentary life in 1847, when he contested

unsuccessfully. He spoke in the house with great ease, and usually with much effect, but only on the

Corn Laws The Corn Laws were tariffs and other trade restrictions on imported food and corn enforced in the United Kingdom between 1815 and 1846. The word ''corn'' in British English denotes all cereal grains, including wheat, oats and barley. The la ...

and other questions with which he was well acquainted. He purchased the ''

Morning Chronicle ''The Morning Chronicle'' was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London. It was notable for having been the first steady employer of essayist William Hazlitt as a political reporter and the first steady employer of Charles Dickens as a journalist. It ...

'' from

William Innell Clement William Innell Clement (15 January 1780 – 24 January 1852) was an English newspaper proprietor. Biography Clement was born in the parish of St Clement Danes and baptised at St Anne's Church, Soho. Starting as a newsagent at a young age, he ...

in 1834 for £16,500, and sold his interest in the paper on his retirement from parliament in 1847.

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

was employed as a Parliamentary reporter in 1834, and he led a short, successful strike against Easthope in February 1836 over the terms of employment of his journalists. Easthope was known as a difficult employer, with the nickname 'Blast-hope'. Dickens left his employ in November 1836 to edit Bentley's Miscellany. On 24 August 1841 he was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

Lord Melbourne Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (15 March 177924 November 1848) was a British Whig politician who served as the Home Secretary and twice as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His first premiership ended when he was dismissed ...

, as a reward for his adherence to the Whig Party, and for his advocacy of a war policy in connection with the Syrian affairs. He died at his home Fir Grove, near Weybridge, Surrey, on 11 December 1865 and was buried at the family vault in

West Norwood Cemetery West Norwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery. One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the " Magnificent Seven" cemeteries of ...

. He married, first, 4 August 1807, Ann, daughter of Jacob Stokes of Leopard House, Worcester; secondly, 19 September 1843, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Colonel William Skyring, R.A., and widow of Major John Longley, R.A., who died on 23 January 1865. His daughter Louisa married Andrew Doyle, editor of ''

The Morning Chronicle ''The Morning Chronicle'' was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London. It was notable for having been the first steady employer of essayist William Hazlitt as a political reporter and the first steady employer of Charles Dickens as a journalist. It ...

''. Sir John left his estate to his surviving wife and his grandson, the historian John Andrew Doyle.

References

;Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Easthope, John, 1st Baronet 1784 births 1865 deaths People from Tewkesbury English stockbrokers Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1826–1830 UK MPs 1831–1832 UK MPs 1837–1841 UK MPs 1841–1847 London and South Western Railway people Burials at West Norwood Cemetery 19th-century English businesspeople