Caleb Banks (18 September 1659 – 13 September 1696) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

between 1685 and 1696.

Biography

Banks was the son of Sir John Banks, 1st Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Dethick, daughter of Sir John Dethick.Charles Henry Fielding. Memories of Malling and its valley (Latin inscription)
/ref> He was educated at

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the 16 "old colleges" of the university, and was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Its buildings span the R ...

and admitted at

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

in February 1675. He was a pupil of

John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.)) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thi ...

who accompanied him in France his travels in France from 1677 to 1679. Banks stood unsuccessfully for parliament at

Winchelsea Winchelsea () is a town in the county of East Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately south west of Rye and north east of Hastings. The current town, which was founded in 1288, replaced an earli ...

in 1679 when he was under age. He was a captain of the militia for Kent and a Deputy Lieutenant for the county from 1683 with a short interruption in 1688.Basil Duke Henning ''The House of Commons, 1660-1690, Volume 1''
/ref> Banks was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Queenborough in 1685 and for

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...

in 1689. In 1689 he became a J.P. and a commissioner for assessment. In 1691 he was elected MP for Rochester until 1695, and was an assistant warden of

Rochester Bridge Rochester Bridge in Rochester, Medway was for centuries the lowest fixed crossing of the River Medway in South East England. There have been several generations of bridge at this spot, and the current "bridge" is in fact four separate bridg ...

from 1693. He was elected MP for Queenborough again in 1695 until his death in 1696. Banks suffered from ill health throughout his life and died aged 36 before his father. He was buried at

Aylesford Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, England, northwest of Maidstone. Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. Two pubs, a villa ...

Church. Banks married Elizabeth Fortrey, daughter of Samuel Fortrey but there were no children, rendering his father's baronetcy extinct.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Caleb 1659 births 1696 deaths Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Deputy lieutenants of Kent Members of Gray's Inn English MPs 1685–1687 English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695