John Harvey Lewis

Who was John Harvey Lewis?

John Harvey Lewis was an Irish-born lawyer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1861 to 1874.

Lewis was the son of William Lewis of Harlech, County Dublin and his wife Dora Cassidy, daughter of John Cassidy of Monasterevan, County Kildare. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin graduating BA in 1835 and MA in 1838. He was called to the bar in Ireland in 1838 and was in practice until 1850. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Middlesex and Tower Hamlets and a J.P. for Middlesex and Westminster. He was High Sheriff of Kildare in 1857.

Lewis stood for parliament unsuccessfully at Hull in 1859. He was elected Member of Parliament for Marylebone at a by-election in April 1861. He held the seat until 1874. He was described as "in favour of the principle of non-intervention and opposed to the present pressure that the income-tax has upon professional men and traders."

Lewis died at the age of 74.

Lewis married firstly in 1840, Emily Ball daughter of George Ball of Richmond Hill, Surrey. She died in 1850 and he married secondly in 1855, Jane Isabella Brown, daughter of William Brown. He left no children.