John Elwes (politician)
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Member of Parliament John Elwes |
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| MP | |
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In office 1772–1784 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Craven |
| Succeeded by | Henry James Pye |
| Member of Parliament for Berkshire |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
7 April 1714 Southwark, England |
| Died |
26 November 1789 (aged 75) Berkshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Politician, Moneylender |
John Elwes [né Meggot or Meggott] (a.k.a. "Elwes the Miser"), MP (7 April 1714 – 26 November 1789) was a Member of Parliament (MP) in Great Britain for Berkshire (1772–1784) and a noted eccentric and miser, suggested to be an inspiration for the character of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Dickens made reference to Elwes some years later in his last novel, Our Mutual Friend. Elwes was also believed to inspire William Harrison Ainsworth to create the character of John Scarfe in his novel The Miser's Daughter.
Elwes (birth name "Meggot") was born on 7 April 1714 into a respectable English family. His father, Robert Meggot, was a respected Southwark brewer and his grandfather was Sir George Meggot, MP for that same borough. His mother, Amy (née Elwes), was the granddaughter of Sir Gervase Elwes, 1st Baronet and MP for Suffolk (see Elwes baronets).
His maternal grandmother, Lady Isabella Hervey (of the Hervey family), happened to be a celebrated miser. He received a good education in the classics at Westminster School. After graduating he traveled to Geneva where he embraced his skill for horsemanship and love of the hunt. He was known as one of the best riders in Europe. It was at this time that he was introduced to Voltaire, to whom he was reported to bear a remarkable resemblance. However, Elwes was far more impressed with the quality of the horses at his riding school than by the genius of the French philosopher.
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