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EVELYN, Lyndon (?1759-1839), of Summerhill, co. Dublin and Keynsham Court, Herefs.
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Biography Detail
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Family and Education
b. ?1759, 1st s. of Francis Evelyn of Dublin. educ. Trinity, Dublin 1 Nov. 1773, aged 14; L. Inn 1778, called [I] 1781. m. 31 Dec. 1789, Elizabeth, da. of John Pimlot of Marple Hall, Chester, 1da. surv.
Offices Held
Chief examiner of ct. of Chancery [I] 1795-c.1804.
Commr. Grand Surr. Canal Dock Co. from 1815.
Biography
Evelyn practised in the Dublin chancery court but was an English resident before he was returned to Parliament by the Earl of Galloway. In 1795, as an East India Company stockholder, his address was Exeter. His conduct was markedly independent: he appeared in the majority on the Scheldt inquiry, 26 Jan. 1810, and further voted with opposition on that question, 23 Feb., 5, 30 Mar. On 13 Apr. he was in the minority favourable to Irish tithe reform. Although he seems to have voted favourably to (Sir) Francis Burdett* on 5 Apr., he was in the government majority against the release of the radical Gale Jones on 16 Apr. He voted against parliamentary reform, 21 May. The Whigs had been ‘hopeful’ of him that session. He again voted with opposition on the Regency question, November 1810-January 1811, against the Irish government’s suppression of the Catholic convention, 22 Feb. 1811, and for Catholic relief, 24 Apr. 1812. On sinecures, he voted with government, 24 Feb. 1812. His patron had noticed by August 1811 that Evelyn was ‘considered an enemy’, to the detriment of his claims for patronage, and therefore washed his hands of him. He had to look elsewhere for a seat in 1812.
At this time he was prepared to come in for a Treasury borough and East Looe was at first intended to be his opening, but the patron let government down. On 7 Oct. 1812 the Irish secretary was asked by the Treasury to find him a seat for £3,000. He had to wait until January 1813, when he came in for Lord Roden’s borough of Dundalk. While invariably voting for Catholic relief, he was a steady supporter of government in that Parliament, except on the property tax, 18 Mar. 1816, and was on their list for dinner parties in 1818. He died 30 Apr. 1839.
SRO GD51/364/18; Add. 40222, f. 62.
