John Aislabie or Aslabie, of Studley Royal, near Ripon, Yorkshire, was a British politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1695 to 1721.
15 Facts About John Aislabie
2.
John Aislabie was of an independent mind, and did not stick regularly to the main parties.
3.
John Aislabie was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time of the South Sea Bubble and his involvement with the Company led to his resignation and disgrace.
4.
John Aislabie was admitted at St John's College, Cambridge, in 1687 and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1692.
5.
John Aislabie inherited the Studley estate from his mother's family in 1693, and started serious development of the garden around 1716.
6.
John Aislabie was the first in England to introduce natural landscaping and created the water garden at Studley Royal.
7.
John Aislabie was elected as a member of parliament for Ripon at the 1695 English general election, apparently on the assumption he was a Tory, though his political views were somewhat fluid.
8.
John Aislabie was returned again for Ripon at the 1698 English general election.
9.
John Aislabie was returned again for Ripon at the two general elections of 1701, and he kept well enough in with Robert Harley to be classed as a Tory.
10.
John Aislabie became more active in politics from 1704, especially on the economy.
11.
John Aislabie became an ally of the Earl of Sunderland who became, in effect, Prime Minister in 1718.
12.
When in 1719 the South Sea Company proposed a deal whereby it would take over the national debt in exchange for government bonds, John Aislabie was a very strong supporter of the scheme and negotiated the contract; he piloted the Bill through the House of Commons.
13.
John Aislabie was expelled from the House, removed from the Privy Council, and imprisoned in the Tower of London.
14.
In 1723 John Aislabie constructed Waverley Abbey House on the site of former Cistercian Waverley Abbey in Surrey.
15.
John's son William Aislabie would serve in Parliament for the Ripon constituency.