Family and Education

b. 1691, 1st s. of Philip Papillon by his 1st w. educ. Morland’s sch. Bethnal Green, London; I. Temple 1706, called 1715, bencher 1744; Utrecht 1707-9; Grand Tour (Germany) 1709. m. 1717, Mary, da. of Timothy Keyser, merchant, of London, 3s. 6da. suc. fa. 1736.

Offices Held

Commr. of excise 1742-54.

Biography

David Papillon, a practising lawyer, was brought in for New Romney as part of the arrangement under which his father surrended his seat in 1720. During the contested election of 1727, when he was opposed by Sir Robert Austen and John Essington, he wrote:

It is truly an unhappy circumstance to be thus treated as a common nuisance to two such powers and could I think how to avoid it and at the same time not be sunk into the lowest degree of being despised, I would most willingly ... and though I should like being in Parliament yet too many enemies is not to be wished.1

He was unseated on petition but one of the successful candidates made his election elsewhere and Papillon filled this vacancy. In Parliament he voted consistently with the Administration except on the civil list arrears in 1729. He spoke 17 Feb. 1731 for the place bill; 10 Mar 1732 for a bill to prevent the export of New England hops to Ireland duty free; and 13 Apr. 1732 on a bill to prevent the manufacture of hats in the colonies.2

In 1734 Papillon successfully contested both New Romney and Dover on the government interest against the Furneses, choosing to sit for Dover. He gave up his seat to the Sackville family in 1741, in return for a commissionership of excise, which he retained till 1754 when, through the good offices of his schoolfellow and lifelong friend, Lord Hardwicke,3 he arranged for it to be transferred to his son. He died 26 Feb. 1762.

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: Paula Watson

Notes

• 1. David Papillon to Sir Philip Yorke, 1 Aug. 1727, Add. 35585, f. 71.
• 2. HMC Egmont Diary, i. 134, 235, 256.
• 3. Yorke, Hardwicke, i. 51, 57; ii. 563.