(d. 1763) of Moor Park, Herts, o. s. of Sir John Eyles, 2nd Bt., of Gidea Hall, Essex; Corpus Camb. 1727; FRS 1742; suc. fa. 1745 as 3rd Bt.; m. 1740 Sibylla Egerton (1711 - c.1763), dau. of Rev. Philip Egerton, rec. of Astbury, Ches.; d. Naples.
1760 - 3 Naples (by 3 Nov. 1760 - d. 26 Jan. 1763) with visit to Rome (Oct. 1762)
Sir Francis and his family went to Naples for the sake of his health. They were expected in November 1760 and had arrived by the 3rd.1 By August 1761 his villa there had become known as the English Coffee House: according to James Adam 'they always have their party of whist of an evening where one passes the time with great ease and pleasure'.2 In November 1761 Mann wrote that Lady Eyles with her sister [Frances Egerton] and daughter [Mary Eyles-Styles, 1745 - 1821] were 'already' in Naples.3 On 22 October 1762 James Adam showed his designs for the new Houses of Parliament to Sir Francis and Sir James Gray in the Casa Guarnieri at Rome, Miss Eyles being then particularly complimentary.4 Sir Francis died in Naples on 26 January 1763.5
1. SP 105/313, f.302 (Gray, 4 Oct. 1760). Fleming, Adam, 375. 2. Fleming, Adam, 291. 3. Wal.Corr., 21:550 and nn1, 2, 3. Fleming, Adam, 375. 4. Fleming, Adam, 301. 5. CB gives 26 Jan. 1762, presumably is in error for 1763.