He was created a baronet, on 21 May 1759, under his father"s influence though aged only 13 years. His father had lobbied for the same honour for himself from the prime minister, the Duke of Newcastle, but was denied it on account of his own religion, as he remained a practising Jew.
The younger Sampson Gideon (as he then was) was educated at Tonbridge School and Eton College.
On 17 July 1789 he legally changed his surname to that of Eardley. and in the same year he was created an Irish peer, with the title of Baron Eardley, of Spalding in the County of Lincoln. An Irish peerage carried no seat in the House of Lords and thus did not disqualify him from membership of the British House of Commons. In November 1789 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (Federal Reserve System) and he was also Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (Federal Security Agency).
Lord Eardley was the first Provincial Grand Master of Cambridgeshire Freemasons, appointed in 1796, until his death.
He was buried at Erith, Kent. Charlotte"s and Sir Culling Smith"s daughter Maria Charlotte married Reverend Eardley Childers Walbanke-Childers and was the mother of politician Hugh Childers.
Royal Society; 1st United Kingdom Parliament. 13th Parliament of Great Britain. 14th Parliament of Great Britain.
15th Parliament of Great Britain.
16th Parliament of Great Britain. 17th Parliament of Great Britain.
18th Parliament of Great Britain]
He served as Tory Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire from 1770 to 1780, Midhurst from 1780 to 1784, Coventry from 1784 to 1796, and Wallingford from 1796 to 1802.
