Josiah Diston
Josiah Diston | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1667 Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England |
| Died | 1737-11-07 Hampstead, England |
| Occupation(s) | Cloth merchant, banker, politician |
| Years active | 1701–1725 |
| Known for | Director and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England; Member of Parliament for Devizes |
Josiah Diston (1667–1737), associated with Blackwell Hall, Basinghall Street, London, and Woodcote Grove, Epsom, Surrey, was an English cloth merchant, banker, and Whig legislator who held a seat in the English House of Commons from 1705 until 1707 and continued in the British House of Commons from 1707 through 1722.
Born as the second son to Josiah Diston of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, from a family with dissenting religious beliefs, he emerged as a prominent factor within the cloth industry at Blackwell Hall in London. This position afforded him significant wealth and established his political ties to the Wiltshire town of Devizes.
In 1701, Diston secured a position as a Director at the Bank of England. Although he was unsuccessful in the 1705 general election for Devizes, he gained the seat through a by-election in December 1706. Leveraging his financial resources, he strengthened his political standing in Devizes, reportedly investing around £3,000 by early 1708 ahead of the general election. He led the poll in Devizes in 1708 and was actively involved in legislative initiatives that favored woollen and iron industries. Additionally, he supported the naturalization of the Palatines and advocated for legislation mandating public registration of deeds in Wiltshire. Diston voted in favor of Dr Sacheverell's impeachment in 1710 but lost his parliamentary seat following a double return at Devizes that year and faced another defeat in 1713.
Around 1713, Diston started purchasing land in Epsom where he constructed Mount Diston (presently known as Woodcote Grove), which served as his home for approximately fifteen years.
He made a political comeback as a Whig MP for Devizes during the 1715 general election. During this tenure, he supported the Septennial Act and the repeal of the Occasional Conformity and Schism Acts, while opposing the Peerage Bill in 1719. In 1721, he was appointed Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, a role he held for three years. Concurrently, he acted as Receiver General of Taxes for Westminster and Middlesex. After suffering a significant defeat in the 1722 election, he sold much of his Epsom estate. By 1726, Diston had accumulated debts amounting to £23,446 due to mismanagement as receiver general; his guarantors covered only £17,574 by 1730. He spent his final years encumbered by financial liabilities and dependent on royal assistance until his passing.
Diston died at Hampstead on 7 November 1737.