Background
Christopher Kilby was born on May 25, 1705 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the ninth of the eleven children of John and Rebecca (Simpkins) Kilby.
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Christopher Kilby
Edit ProfileEducation
Early in life Kilby was apprenticed to a Boston merchant William Clark.
Career
In 1726 Kilby went into partnership with William Clark. About 1733 he set out on an adventurous business trip to the West Indies, and thence to London, returning in 1735 to Boston. Here, although he hankered to go back to England, he quickly achieved some importance both as merchant and politician. In the first capacity, he carried on the omnivorous trade that was common during the colonial period; in the second, he was elected representative of Boston to the General Court. At this time he had an opportunity to return to Britain as advocate for the General Court in its feud against Governor Jonathan Belcher. He at once sailed hurriedly for London.
Kilby started into business again and was soon carrying on a good trade with the colonies. He had the advantage of being one of the few merchants in London with a personal knowledge of New England's commerce. For a time he was the official agent of Massachusetts at the capital, and in this role he was helpful in persuading Parliament to repay Massachusetts for its expenditure on the Louisbourg expedition, but he was later accused of neglecting the province's interests and lost its agency.
Soon afterward he was made agent for Boston, and he also represented many merchants of that town, defending their interests alike in business and at the Privy Council. In recognition of his knowledge of colonial exchanges and trade, the British Government gave him a number of important posts. He was agent to the Board of Ordnance during the war years of 1739-1748, buying and paying for the stores needed by the forts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. When Halifax was founded in 1749, he was appointed by the Board of Trade to relieve the harassed governor of financial worries and so became in effect the infant colony's banker and adviser in London.
At the outbreak of the Seven Years' War he was made "agent victualler" to the army under Loudon, and now had to recross the Atlantic for a time. He handled large sums of money on the government's behalf, receiving for his pains a small salary plus a commission on transactions. These and his many other activities were often shared with various partners, of whom the best known was Sir William Baker, M. P. Kilby's somewhat restless life came to an end at Dorking, Surrey, in October 1771.
Achievements
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Christopher Kilby became known as an influential London merchant who financed the colonies' trade and acted at once an agent, shipper, banker, and broker. He was also distinguished as a diplomat and public servant, shouldering administrative work which government departments of that era were not prepared to handle, but which was essential to the welfare of the empire.
Connections
Kilby was married to Sarah Clark on August 18, 1726. They had two daughters, Sarah and Catherine. In 1739 his wife died. He remarried in England and his new wife, Martha Neaves, was a member of a solid City family.
