James Kendall

James Kendall (17 June 1647 – 10 July 1708) of Birdcage Walk, Westminster and Carshalton, Surrey was an English Army officer and Tory and later Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1685 and 1708. He served as Governor of Barbados from 1689 to 1693. Early life Kendall was baptized on 17 June 1647, the fourth, but third surviving son of Thomas Kendall of Lostwithiel, Cornwall and his wife Elizabeth Arscott, daughter of Arthur Arscott of Tetcott, Devon. He was admitted at Middle Temple and Lincoln's Inn on 28 December 1666. He joined the army and was a cornet in the Royal Horse Guards in 1675. From 1678 to 1679 he was a lieutenant colonel in Lord Morpeth's regiment of foot and from 1680 to 1687 a captain in the Coldstream Guards. Career Kendall was returned as Tory Member of Parliament for West Looe at the 1685 English general election. He was appointed Governor of Barbados in 1689 until 1693, and a member of the council from 1694 to 1695. He returned to England and was returned as MP for West Looe again at the 1695 English general election on the interest of his niece Mary Kendall. From 1696 to 1699, he was a Lord of the Admiralty. He was returned again at the 1698 English general election and at the two general elections of 1701, but when he fell out with his niece, he was dropped at the 1702 English general election. He thereupon disinherited her. At the 1705 English general election, Kendall stood in a contest at Lostwithiel on the interest of his relative Canon Nicholas Kendall. He was defeated in the poll, but petitioned and was seated as MP for Lostwithiel on 17 January 1706. By this time he was listed as a Whig. He was returned for Lostwithiel at the 1708 British general election.