Thomas Papillon

Thomas Papillon (6 September 1623 – 5 May 1702) was an English merchant and politician, an influential figure in the City of London for half a century.

He was the third son of David Papillon by his second wife, Anne Marie Calandrini, he was born at Roehampton House, Roehampton, on 6 September 1623. He went to school at Drayton, Northamptonshire, was articled in 1637 to Thomas Chambrelan, a London merchant, and in the following year was apprenticed to the Mercers' Company, of which he received the freedom in 1646.

Papillon was implicated in the riots of 26 July 1647, when a mob broke into St. Stephen's and forced Parliament to rescind the recent ordinance by which the City of London had been deprived of the control of its militia. When the Independent faction regained the ascendency over the Presbyterians (August), he slipped off to France to avoid arrest, but returned in November, and was committed to Newgate Prison during the following February.

After some demur, Papillon was released on bail. About the same time he began business on his own account as a general merchant. Except to petition the Council of State against an illegal impost on lead in 1653, and to defend the autonomy of the French church, of which he was a deacon, against the Privy Council in 1657, he avoided public affairs until the Restoration of 1660.

Papillon was placed on the council of trade and foreign plantations, and in 1663 on the directorate of the East India Company, which he had joined on its reconstruction in 1657. He continued to serve on the directorate until 1670, and in 1667 watched the interests of the company at Breda during the negotiations with the Dutch Republic. He was also on the directorate from 1675 to 1682, with the exception of 1676, when, having given offence to the king, he was excluded at his instance. The reason of his disfavour at court was probably the resistance which he had offered in the law courts to a claim by the farmers of excise for excessive duty on brandy. He was deputy-governor of the company in 1680 and 1681.

Papillon was returned to Parliament as Member for Dover on 11 February 1673, and kept the seat until the dissolution of 28 March 1681. During that period he was an effective speaker, and sat on 68 committees. An adherent of the country party, he censured in committee of the whole house (March 1676) the pass system, under by English merchant ships had no protection on the high seas unless provided with government licenses; and supported (18 February 1678) the motion for making the army vote conditional on the disclosure of foreign alliances. A strong Protestant, he moved on 18 November 1678 the committal to the Tower of London of the secretary of state, Sir Joseph Williamson. He credited the Popish Plot allegations.

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