Sir John Whittaker Ellis, 1st Baronet (25 January 1829 – 20 September 1912) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.
Born on 25 January 1829, Sir John Whittaker Ellis was the 5th son of Joseph Ellis, owner of the Star and Garter Hotel in Richmond, Surrey, from 1830–1847 and lived in Byfleet for some years at Petersham House (built in High Road c1859 and now a Lloyds Bank). After a fire at Petersham House, Sir John organised Byfleet’s first fire brigade by equipping three of his gardeners with three lengths of hose and an ancient manual pump which was put on wheels and kept in a potting shed. In 1885, Sir John funded the construction of the nearby Byfleet Fire Station to house a volunteer Fire Brigade. Initially the Parish Council managed this Brigade and rented the building and a fire engine from Sir John. The fire brigade was stationed there until 1963, latterly as part of the Surrey Fire Brigade and the building survives today as a Grade 2 Listed building.
Sir John was Lord Mayor of London from 1881-2, and was elected as Member of Parliament for Mid Surrey at a by-election in 1884, and when that constituency was abolished for the 1885 general election, he was returned for the new Kingston constituency.
On 6 June 1882 Sir John was made a Baronet of Byfleet, Surrey, but the title became extinct on his death. He later became the Borough of Richmond’s first Mayor, and purchased the site for the Richmond’s first town hall. In 1895 a bust of Sir John was unveiled in the town hall by Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck and this is still displayed on the staircase there. In 1899 he was appointed High Sheriff of Surrey for the year.[1]
Sir John died on 20 September 1912 and is buried in St.Peter’s churchyard, Petersham, sharing the same gravestone with his late wife, Mary Anne, who had died in 1901. He is also commemorated by a plaque in St Peter’s North Chancel, the bust in Richmond Town Hall and nearby Whittaker Avenue in Richmond.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Henry Peek, Bt. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Mid Surrey 1884 – 1885 With: Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bt |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Kingston 1885 – 1892 |
Succeeded by Sir Richard Temple, Bt. |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Byfleet, Surrey) 1882 – 1912 |
Extinct |