William Eaton, 2nd Baron Cheylesmore

William Meriton Eaton, 2nd Baron Cheylesmore (15 January 1843 – 10 July 1902) is best remembered as a leading collector of English mezzotint portraits, and collector of other art. His mezzotints and other prints, over 10,000 in number, were left to the British Museum, and five oil paintings to the National Gallery, London. He also stood unsuccessfully for Parliament for the Conservative Party at Macclesfield in 1868, 1874 and 1880, and held a nominal partnership in the family silk business.

As his elder brother had predeceased him, he became 2nd Baron Cheylesmore, which is pronounced "Chylsmore", in 1891 on the death of his father Henry William Eaton, 1st Baron Cheylesmore (1816–1891). He never married, and was succeeded by his younger brother Herbert, a major-general and sportsman.

Eaton was born in 9 Gloucester Place near Regent's Park, the second of three sons of Henry William Eaton and his wife Charlotte Gorham (née Harman). His parent also had two daughters. His maternal grandfather was from New Orleans.

His father founded the family silk business, H. W. Eaton & Son, was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Coventry, and became Baron Cheylesmore in 1877, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. His mother died in 1877. His elder brother had died before his father's death in 1891, when Eaton inherited the peerage.

He was educated at Eton College and then joined the family silk brokerage, but had little interest in the business. He spent most of his time on politics, standing but failing to be elected to Parliament three times, and then with much greater success on art collecting. He was a trustee of the Chantrey Bequest.

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