George Hayley (1722-1781) was a British merchant, shipowner, whaler and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1781.

Life and career

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Hayley was the eldest son of George Hayley and his wife Hannah Hopkins. His initial career was that of cordwainer.[1] By 1767 he was an agent importing whale oil from America. He owned three or four South Sea whaling vessels between 1775 and 1781.[2]

He married Mary Storke, who was sister of John Wilkes and widow of Samuel Storke Jr., a merchant of London.[3][Notes 1]

Hayley was elected Member of Parliament for City of London at the 1774 general election. He also became an alderman in 1774 and was a sheriff of London in 1775–6. He was also President of Lloyd’s of London.[8] He was returned as MP for the City at the 1780 general election. He was a poor speaker and his main concern was on behalf of merchants trading with America.[3]

Hayley died on 30 August 1781.[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ The History of Parliament gives the name of Wilkes' first husband erroneously as Alexander Stock.[3] The business relationships of Storke/Hayley[3] and Storke/Hayley/Champion[4][5] indicate that the entry in History of Parliament is incorrect, as do various biographical accounts of John Wilkes, which identify Mary's first husband as Storke or Stork.[6][7]

References

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  1. ^ Jane M. Clayton & Charles A. Clayton, Shipowners investing in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775 to 1815, Hassobury, 2016, p.75.
  2. ^ Clayton & Clayton, p.75.
  3. ^ a b c d e "HAYLEY, George (d.1781), of London". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  4. ^ "(untitled)". The Public Advertiser. London, England. 8 August 1786. p. 3. Retrieved 6 May 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ Clayton, Jane M. (2014). Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775-1815: An alphabetical list of ships. Hastings, East Sussex, England: Berforts Information Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-908616-52-4.
  6. ^ Bleackley, Horace (1917). Life of John Wilkes. London, England: John Lane. p. 21. OCLC 557289029.
  7. ^ Fitzgerald, Percy Hetherington (1888). The life and times of John Wilkes, M. P., Lord Mayor of London, and Chamberlain. London, England: Ward and Downey. p. 306. OCLC 834184408.
  8. ^ Clayton & Clayton, p.76.

Further reading

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Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for City of London
1774–1781
With: Richard Oliver 1774-1780
John Sawbridge 1774-1780
John Kirkman 1780
Frederick Bull 1774-1781
Nathaniel Newnham 1780-1781
John Sawbridge 1780-1781
Watkin Lewes 1781-1781
Succeeded by