Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 58.djvu/362

Villiers The brothers lived during the earlier years of their lives with their parents in a moiety of Kent House at Knightsbridge, but from 1825 Thomas Hyde Villiers and Taylor shared a house in Suffolk Street (Quarterly Rev. October 1898, pp. 505–6). Villiers joined in 1825 a debating club called ‘The Academics,’ where several of his college friends and John Stuart Mill discussed political and economical topics. His chief speech, an hour long, on colonisation ‘made some noise, procured him a compliment and an invitation from the chancellor of the exchequer’ (, Correspondence, pp. 6–7). Not long afterwards Villiers abandoned the government service to embark on politics. His chief source of income from that date until his acceptance of office arose from the agencies for Berbice and Newfoundland (Hansard, 1831, v. 283–7).

At the general election in June 1826 Villiers was returned to parliament for the borough of Hedon in Yorkshire, and sat for it until the dissolution in 1830. In 1830 and 1831 he sat respectively for Wootton Bassett (a family borough) and Bletchingley, and voted for the Reform Bill in all its stages.

Villiers travelled in Ireland in 1828 with the object of informing himself on Irish affairs, and set out his views in long letters to Taylor. A letter written by him in February 1829 was shown to Sheil, who thereupon brought about the suppression of the catholic association (, R. L. Sheil, ii. 59). He suggested in 1831 the formation of the commission that laid the foundation of the new poor law, and assisted in its preliminary inquiries. On 18 May 1831 he became secretary to the board of control under Charles Grant (afterwards Lord Glenelg) [q. v.] Later in the year (2 Nov. 1831) Villiers and Taylor entered as students at Lincoln's Inn. On 22 Aug. 1831 he made a long speech in the House of Commons on the Methuen treaty with Portugal (Hansard, vi. 437–9). The committees on Indian affairs, ‘whose labours formed the basis of subsequent legislation,’ were organised by Villiers, with the assistance of Lord Althorp. The question of the renewal of the charter to the East India Company, which came up for consideration at this time, demanded all his faculties, and official work weighed heavily upon him.

At the time of his death Villiers was a candidate for the conjoint constituency of Penryn and Falmouth in Cornwall. After three months' suffering from an abscess in the head, he died on 3 Dec. 1832 at Carclew, the seat of Sir Charles Lemon, near Penryn, where he was staying. A monument was placed to his memory in Mylor church. Villiers possessed ‘indefatigable industry and a clear understanding, set off by pleasing address and considerable powers of speaking.’ It was a scheme of his to give ‘parliamentary seats, without votes, to persons holding certain offices’ (, Corresp. p. 196).

 VILLIERS STUART, HENRY WINDSOR (1827–1895), politician. [See .]

VILLULA, JOHN (d. 1122), bishop of Bath. [See .]

VILVAIN, ROBERT (1575?–1663), physician and philanthropist, born in the parish of All Hallows, Goldsmith Street, Exeter, and baptised in its church on 17 March 1575–6, was the son of Peter Vilvain, steward of Exeter in 1579, who died on 25 Sept. 1602, by his wife Ann, who died on 24 Sept. 1616. Robert received his early education at Exeter, and matriculated from Exeter College, Oxford, on 22 Feb. 1593–4, aged 18. He graduated B.A. on 9 May 1597 and M.A. on 11 July 1600. On 30 June 1599 he was elected to a Devonian fellowship of his college, which he held until 30 June 1611.

Vilvain began to practise medicine about 1600, and on 20 June 1611 took the Oxford degrees of M.B. and M.D. He was incorporated at Cambridge in 1608, and with these further degrees was reincorporated in 1612. From this date he practised with great success in his native city, dwelling there for the rest of his days. In 1640 he was one of twelve doctors—five in theology, four in medicine, and three in law—living in Exeter. His epigram on them, the English translation, and a list of their names are printed in Izacke's ‘History of Exeter’ (1723 edit. p. 156). With his charitable benefactions and decreasing strength there came a loss of income; the preface to his ‘Enchiridium Epigrammatum’ (1654) refers to his ‘ruined fortune.’ Between 17 April and 4 Nov. 1662 there are frequent references in the state papers (Domestic Series) to the lease to him from 1647 by the dean and chapter of Exeter of the manor of Staverton, which he ‘deserves to forfeit for ill-carriage during the late distractions.’ He died on