John Aislabie

Background

John Aislabie was born at Goodramgate, York, on the 7th of December 1670. Aislabie's family were originally Yeoman farmers who lived in Hemingbrough. His father George married into the highly influential Mallory family.

Education

John Aislabie attended St. John's College and Trinity Hall at Cambridge.

Career

Aislabie was elected as a member of parliament for Ripon in 1695, apparently on the assumption he was a Tory, though his political views were somewhat fluid. He became more active in politics from 1704, especially on the economy. He eventually became associated with the Country Whigs. Under the patronage of Robert Harley he was appointed a Lord of the Admiralty from 1710 in the Tory administration. This proved a precarious appointment as Aislabie's Whig sympathies manifested in votes against the government.

When the Whigs returned to office in 1714, Aislabie was made Treasurer of the Navy. He became an ally of the Earl of Sunderland who became, in effect, Prime Minister in 1718. Sunderland appointed Aislabie as Chancellor of the Exchequer. When in 1719 the South Sea Company proposed a deal whereby it would take over the national debt in exchange for government bonds, Aislabie was a very strong supporter of the scheme and negotiated the contract; he piloted the Bill through the House of Commons. The South Sea Company had been built on high expectations which it could never fulfil, and it collapsed in August 1720. An investigation by Parliament found that Aislabie had been given £20, 000 of company stock in exchange for his promotion of the scheme. He resigned the Exchequer in January 1721, and in March was found guilty by the Commons of the "most notorious, dangerous and infamous corruption". He was expelled from the House, removed from the Privy Council, and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Though committed to the Tower he was soon released, and was allowed to retain the property he possessed before 1718, including his country estate, to which he retired to pass the rest of his days. He died in 1742.

Achievements

• John Aislabie or Aslabie was a British politician, notable for his involvement in the South Sea Bubble and for creating the water garden at Studley Royal.
  
  The obelisk in the Market Square, Ripon, the first in England, was provided by John Aislabie in 1702.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The case of the Right Honble John Aislabie, Esq;
  • The speech of the Right Honourable John Aislabie, Esq; upon his defence made in the House of Lords against the bill for raising money upon the estates ... on Wednesday the 19th of July 1721.

Politics

John Aislabie was associated with the Country Whigs.

Interests

• He inherited the Studley estate from his mother's family in 1693, and started serious development of the garden around 1716, becoming the first in England to introduce natural landscaping.

Connections

Father:

George Aislabie