law. Eliot often addressed the house on Irish questions, with the respect even of opponents. In January 1845 Eliot resigned the Irish chief secretaryship, and on the death of his father succeeded to the peerage as Earl St. Germans. He was appointed postmaster-general by Sir Robert Peel, and held that office till the fall of Peel's administration. The Earl of Aberdeen, on becoming prime minister in December 1852, appointed him lord-lieutenant of Ireland. He held the post during Lord Aberdeen's premiership. He received the queen and the prince consort in 1853 on the opening of the Great Exhibition of Dublin. On 16 Feb. 1855 Palmerston acceded to office as premier, and St. Germans retained in the new government the post of Irish viceroy, but on the reconstruction of the ministry a few days later, retired from office. After his return from Ireland St. Germans was for several years lord steward of the household. He was afterwards, as long as his health permitted, the queen's confidential adviser at all critical periods, and especially on family matters. He accompanied the Prince of Wales on his tour through Canada and the United States in 1860. He never ceased to take a deep interest in public affairs. Though he acted with the liberals on political questions generally, his advice was frequently sought by leaders on the opposite side. He declined to join in the 'No Popery' agitation in 1850, and published his reasons for objecting to it. He spoke seldom, but was generally respected for his fairness and ability; and he was a good landlord to his tenantry' in Cornwall. He was deputy-lieutenant of the county (1841) and special deputy-warden of the Stannaries (1852). He died 7 Oct. 1877.
In 1824 he married Lady Jemima Cornwallis, third daughter and coheiress of Charles, second and last marquis Comwallis, by his wife, the Lady Louisa Gordon, daughter and coheiress of Alexander, fourth duke of Gordon. He had issue three sons and one daughter. Granville Charles Cornwallis, the second son, was a captain in the Coldstream guards, and was killed at Inkerman, 5 Nov. 1854. William Gordon Cornwallis (born 14 Dec. 1829), the eldest son, who became fourth Earl of St. Germans, was summoned to the House of Lords in 1870 in his fathers barony of EWliot; was engaged in the diplomatic service till 1805; was M.P. for Devonport. from 1866 to 1868, and died 19 March 1881. His brother, Henry Cornwallis Eliot, became fifth earl.
[Ann. Reg. 1877; Times, 8 Oct. 1877; Western Weekly News, 13 Oct. 1877; Hansard's Parliamentary Debates.]
ELIOT, FRANCIS PERCEVAL (1756?–1818), writer on finance, born about 1756, entered the civil service, and was at the time of his death and for many years previously one of the commissioners of audit at Somerset House. He took a very great interest in the volunteer yeomanry service, was successively major and colonel of the Staffordshire volunteer cavalry, and wrote, with reference to that movement, 'Six Letters on the subject of the Armed Yeomanry,' 1794; new edition, 1797. Eliot died at Portman Street, London, on 23 Aug. 1818. He was married and had a large family. He wrote:
- 'Demonstration, or Financial Remarks, with occasional Observations on Political Occurrences,' 1807.
- 'Observations on the Fallacy of the supposed Depreciation of the Paper Currency of the Kingdom, with Reasons for dissenting from the Report of the Bullion Committee,' 1811; new edition, with answers to criticisms, same year.
- 'Letters on the Political and Financial Situation of the British Empire in the years 1814, 1815, and 1816,' addressed to the Earl of Liverpool, and published in the 'Pamphleteer' of those dates. Eliot was engaged at the time of his death in writing largely for the 'Ægis,' a weekly paper in which he was interested.
[Gent. Mag. October 1818, p. 378; Observations, p. 3; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
ELIOT, GEORGE. [See Cross, Mary Ann.]
ELIOT, Sir JOHN (1592–1632), patriot, the son of Richard Eliot and his wife Bridget (Carswell) of Port Eliot, near St. Germans in Cornwall, was born on or shortly before 20 April 1592. The impetuosity which was the distinguishing mark of his parliamentary career revealed itself in a boyish outbreak, in which he wounded a neighbour, Mr. Moyle, who had complained to his father of his extravagance. It was also in keeping with his placable disposition that he should be sobered by the incident, and should have craved forgiveness for the wrong which he had done. On 4 Dec. 1607 he matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford (Boase, Reg. Coll. Eron. lxix.), where he remained three years, and though he did not take a degree, his parliamentary speeches showed the thoroughness with which he had conducted his studies. His religion was deep-seated, thoroughly protestant in tone, but not careful to take offence at the small ceremonial scandals which vexed the soul of the ordinary puritan, as long as he had reason to think that they did not cover an attempt to reintroduce papal doctrines and practices.
