John Saunders Gilliat

John Saunders Gilliat (November 24 1829 - February 11, 1912) was a British banker and Conservative politician.

He was the son of John Kirton Gilliat and Mary Anne Saunders of Fernill, Berkshire. His father was founder J K Gilliat and Company, a merchant banking company that traded in Engalnd and America."Obituary: Mr J S Gilliat", The Times, February 16, 1912, p.9] He was educated at Harrow School and University College, Oxford.

In 1860 he married Louisa Babington, with whom he had three children. In 1862 he joined the court of the Bank of England, and was Governor from 1883 to 1885.

In 1886 he was elected as Conservative member of parliament for the Clapham constituency of south London. In 1891 he put his name forward as Conservative candidate for the parliamentary seat of St Albans, but withdrew his candidacy. ["The St Albans Division of Herts.", The Times, June 27, 1891, p.7] He was eventually chosen to contest Widnes when the sitting MP, T C Edwards-Moss retired for health reasons. He held the seat until 1900.

Gilliat made his home at Chorleywood, Hertfordshire. He was deeply involved in the affairs of the Church of England, and was a member of the Committee For Church Defence and Church Instruction and the Bishop of St Albans's Fund as well as being one of the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty. ["Archbishop of Canterbury on Church Defence", The Times, April 7, 1897, p.14] ["Bishop of St Albans' Fund", The Times, June 7, 1898, p.3] ["Ecclesiastical Intelligence", The Times, March 23, 1907, p.9]

On his death at the age of 82 in 1912 Gilliat was the oldest member of the Court of the Bank of England.

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