John Saunders Gilliat

Who was John Saunders Gilliat?

John Saunders Gilliat was a British banker and Conservative politician.

He was the son of John Kirton Gilliat and Mary Anne Saunders of Fernill, Berkshire. His father was founder J K Gilliat and Company, a merchant banking company that traded in England and America. He was educated at Harrow School and University College, Oxford.

In 1860 he married Louisa Babington, with whom he had three children. In 1862 he joined the court of the Bank of England, and was Governor from 1883 to 1885.

In 1886 he was elected as Conservative member of parliament for the Clapham constituency of south London. In 1891 he put his name forward as Conservative candidate for the parliamentary seat of St Albans, but withdrew his candidacy. He was eventually chosen to contest Widnes when the sitting MP, T C Edwards-Moss retired for health reasons. He held the seat until 1900.

Gilliat made his home at Chorleywood, Hertfordshire. He was deeply involved in the affairs of the Church of England, and was a member of the Committee For Church Defence and Church Instruction and the Bishop of St Albans's Fund as well as being one of the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty.