EVELYN, William (?1734-1813), of St. Clere, nr. Sevenoaks, Kent

In 1766, when the newly appointed lord warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord Holdernesse, was searching for a suitable candidate to oppose the Sackville interest at Hythe at the general election, William Deedes, whose estate gave him some interest in the borough, suggested that William Evelyn should stand. Evelyn wrote to Deedes, 8 Dec. 1766:1Wilks, Barons of the Cinque Ports, 114.

I thought it would be but to little purpose to make any pretensions to succeed my father at Hythe ... I certainly will make use of the hints you have given me ... by seeing Lord Holdernesse and by offering to fight his battles for him, for believe me there is hardly anything I would not do to eradicate that haughty fellow [Lord George Sackville] though I can hardly believe he hath taken root here yet.

He was returned after a contest. In Parliament he supported Administration (but voted with the Opposition on Grenville’s Election Act, 25 Feb. 1774). Four speeches of his are reported during this Parliament—none of much interest.

In 1774 Evelyn was again returned for Hythe after a contest. He continued to support Administration till the fall of North, and voted against Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783. In 1784 he once more successfully contested Hythe, where he had now established a personal interest. He opposed Pitt’s Administration till the outbreak of the war with France. No speech by him is reported 1774-90.

He died 3 Nov. 1813, aged 79.