John Delaware Lewis (1828 – 31 July 1884) was an English

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician who sat in the

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from 1868 to 1874. Lewis was born in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, Russia, the only son of an American merchant, John D. Lewis (1774-1841), and his wife Eliza Emma Clewlow (c1797-1829). She was daughter of James Hamilton Clewlow R.N, who was a purser and later secretary to

Sir Samuel Hood Admiral Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood (12 December 1724 – 27 January 1816) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action during the War of the Austrian Succession. While in temporary command of , Hood drove a Fre ...

. Lewis's father was one of the most successful merchants in St Petersburg, where he was based for about 30 years, trading in sugar, coffee, rice, cigars, duck, hemp, quills, oil and bale rope. He made various trips to Britain and died at his residence in Cornwall Terrace, Regent's Park, on the 17 May 1841. Lewis lost his mother in the year following his birth in 1829; she died after giving birth to a daughter, Amy Eliza. His father died when he was twelve, and being so young there was no opportunity for him to become involved with the family mercantile business, which was taken over by the company secretary, Abraham van Sassen. Lewis was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

graduating BA in 1850 and MA in 1853, was called to the bar at

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in 1858 and went on the south-eastern circuit. He was a J.P. for Devon and Hampshire, and an officer in the Royal Pembroke Artillery Militia.Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1870
/ref> He spent much time at

Arcachon Arcachon (; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Gironde. It is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a sandy beach and a mild climate said to be favourable for p ...

in France and was author of ''Sketches of Cantabs'', ''Across the Atlantic'', ''Causes Célèbres'', and various other works in English and French. At the 1868 general election Lewis was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Devonport. He held the seat until his defeat at the 1874 general election, and unsuccessfully contested the seat again in

1880 Events January *January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...

. He married in 1868, Teresa Jervoise, daughter of Sir Jervoise Clarke-Jervoise, 2nd Baronet MP for South Hampshire, and died at Westbury House,

Petersfield Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth. The town has its own Petersfield railway station, railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line, the mainline rai ...

, Hampshire, at the age of 56. He was childless and left his estate to his wife (in her lifetime) and to his nephew, Herbert Leroy, who later changed his name to Herbert Leroy-Lewis. Leroy was the grandson of William D. Lewis, who was Lewis's uncle and had worked for his father in their Russian mercantile business. Lewis's ancestors settled in the State of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

in the 17th century, his grandfather being Joel Lewis (1750-1820) of Christiana, New Castle County, Delaware. During the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

Joel Lewis raised a company at his own expense. However, he was also a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

and this action was in conflict with core beliefs of the Society. See article Quakers in the American Revolution. From about 1860 until 1876 Lewis owned Membland Hall and estate, a distance of about 12 miles from his parliamentary constituency of Devonport. He eventually sold the property to Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke. Lewis was also the owner of the

Lansdowne portrait The Lansdowne portrait is an iconic life-size portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. It depicts the 64-year-old president of the United States during his final year in office. The portrait was a gift to former British Pr ...

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, now in the

National Portrait Gallery (United States) The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded in 1962 and opened in 1968, it is part of the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of American artists, politicians, scientists ...

. The work was originally purchased by his father in 1827 and passed to Lewis's heir, Herman Leroy-Lewis.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, John Delaware 1828 births 1884 deaths British expatriates in the Russian Empire Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1868–1874 Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of Lincoln's Inn People educated at Eton College English male writers English barristers