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Sir Francis Sykes, 1st Baronet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Francis Sykes, 1st Baronet (1732–1804) was an English country landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1771 and 1804. He was sometime Governor of Cossimbazar in India, being styled an English nabob by his peers.

Career

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Sykes was born in Thornhill in the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1732.[1]

Having joined the British East India Company, Sykes amassed a fortune in Bengal at the court of the Nawab. He became the Governor of Cossimbazar. During his time in India, he became good friends with both Warren Hastings and Lord Clive.

On his return to England, Sykes purchased Ackworth Park in Yorkshire and Basildon Park in Berkshire. He was for many years the Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury, and then for Wallingford. He acquired a baronetcy in 1781.[2] Sir Francis lived in Basildon, although he died in 1804, before his house there was completed. His son, Francis William Sykes (1767–1804) also served as the Member of Parliament for Wallingford.

Memorial

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Both Sir Francis and his son are commemorated in an unusual memorial at St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon, which reuses a 14th-century chest tomb in the chancel wall.[3] It was sculpted by John Flaxman.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Person Page". thepeerage.com.
  2. ^ "SYKES, Francis (1732–1804), of Basildon Park, Berks". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. ^ "National Monuments Record (St Bartholomews Church)".
  4. ^ Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.150
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury
1771–1775
With: William Chaffin Grove 1771–74
Thomas Rumbold 1774–75
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury
1780–1784
With: Sir Thomas Rumbold 1780–81
Hans Winthrop Mortimer 1781–84
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wallingford
1784–1801
With: Thomas Aubrey 1784–90
Nathaniel Wraxall 1790–94
Francis Sykes 1794–96
The Lord Eardley 1796–1801
Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Parliament of Great Britain
Member of Parliament for Wallingford
1801–1804
With: The Lord Eardley 1801–02
William Hughes 1802–04
Succeeded by
Baronetage of Great Britain
New creation Baronet
(of Basildon)
1781–1804
Succeeded by