Joseph Eyles

Sir Joseph Eyles (c.1690–8 February 1740), of Bishopsgate, London, was an English merchant, financier and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1722 to 1740.

Eyles was the son of Sir Francis Eyles, 1st Baronet (died 1716). He became a merchant in the City of London trading with Turkey and holding extensive commercial interests in the Mediterranean. He was a director of the East India Company from 1714 to 1717 and in 1721, a director of the Bank of England from 1717 to 1721 and director of the East India Company from 1721 to 1722. He was also sub governor of the London Assurance Company.[1]

At the 1722 British general election, Eyles was returned on the family interest as Member of Parliament for Devizes. He voted with the Government in all recorded divisions.[1] He was elected Sheriff of London for 1724 to 1725 and was master of the Haberdashers' Company for the same period. [2] He was knighted on 9 December 1724. At the 1727 British general election he was returned instead as MP for Southwark. He became one of the Government's financial agents, and was again a director of the Bank of England from 1730 to 1733. In July 1730, Pelham, paymaster of the forces, instructed the Treasury board that it should in future receive proposals from Sir Joseph Eyles for the remittances needed for the forces in Minorca, Gibraltar, and foreign service elsewhere. Eyles only vote against the Government was on the excise bill in 1733, which both he and his elder brother, Sir John Eyles, 2nd Baronet, opposed. He was returned as MP for Devises at the 1734. The only speech he is known to have made was on 30 March 1739, when he seconded a motion for the repeal of the Test Act.[1] He was an alderman of London for Cheapside from 1739 to 1740.[2]

Eyles married Sarah Jefferies, the daughter of Sir Jeffrey Jefferies. He died on 8 February 1740 leaving a son and two daughters.[1]