Francis Perceval Eliot

Francis Perceval Eliot
with permission from The Eliot Sisters Collection
Born	September 1755 Kew Green, Surrey, England
Died	23 August 1818(1818-08-23) (aged 62) 22 Portman Street, London, England
Buried at	St Marylebone burial ground
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Years of service	1773-1806
Rank	Colonel
Commands held	14th Regiment of Foot Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry Staffordshire Yeomanry Infantry 2nd Staffordshire Militia
Spouse(s)	Anne Breynton (m. 1778–1818)
Other work	Auditor Man of letters

Francis Perceval Eliot (September 1755 – 23 August 1818) was an English soldier, auditor and man of letters.

Eliot was the son of General Granville Elliott (1713–1759) and his second wife, Elizabeth Duckett (1724–1804). He was born at Kew Green, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey, and baptised on 9 October 1755 at St Anne's Church, Kew Green.

Following his father's death on 10 October 1759, the family moved on 15 April 1760 to Richmond. In 1762, Francis lodged at Hargreaves in St Martin's Lane, London. On 17 April 1764, he lodged with Mrs Bathurst, Charterhouse Square and attended the public school of St Bartholomew. In 1770, he went to Mrs Betesworth's Academy in Kingston, near Portsmouth, Hampshire, leaving in 1772 to join Mr Lockee's Military Academy, Little Chelsea, London, and later to Colonel Gallatin's School of Equitation for 7 months.

On 15 December 1773, he was commissioned as Ensign in the 14th Regiment of Foot. On 28 March 1774, he joined his first regiment, moving to quarters in Dover on 13 May 1774. In March 1775, he left for America, where, on 25 August 1775, he was appointed Lieutenant in the 14th Regiment of Foot. By 28 November 1778, he had returned to St George's, Hanover Square, London, where he married Anne Breynton (c. 1756 – 15 August 1829), the daughter of the famous minister in Nova Scotia, Rev Dr John Breynton (c. 1719–1799). In 1790, he bought Elmhurst Hall and various other properties in Staffordshire, while still maintaining a house in London. In 1794 he raised the Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry and became its Major and subsequently Colonel. In 1797, he tried to sell off his Staffordshire estates. The following year 1798 he raised the Staffordshire Yeomanry Infantry. By 1800 he had moved to Lichfield and in 1803 raised the 2nd Staffordshire Militia, eventually becoming its Lieutenant-Colonel.