John Delaware Lewis (1828 – 31 July 1884) was an English Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1874.
[1][2] Lewis's father was one of the most successful merchants in St Petersburg, where he was based for about 30 years, trading in sugar, coffee, rice, cigars, duck, hemp, quills, oil and bale rope.
[5] His father died when he was twelve, and being so young there was no opportunity for him to become involved with the family mercantile business, which was taken over by the company secretary, Abraham van Sassen.
[8] He spent much time at Arcachon in France and was author of Sketches of Cantabs, Across the Atlantic, Causes Célèbres, and various other works in English and French.
From about 1860 until 1876 Lewis owned Membland Hall and estate, a distance of about 12 miles from his parliamentary constituency of Devonport.