About John Harrison Yallop
John Harrison Yallop was born in Norwich on 12 October 1762. It was probably Yallop's experience of financial matters that made him an obvious choice as a land tax commissioner on the 1821 Land Tax Act.
His father was a glover and his son developed a range of business interests, apparently initially trading as a grocer and then as a goldsmith and lottery agent.
Yallop also acted as a money lender and was involved in setting up a savings bank. Some of his debtors owed him considerable sums of money. For instance, Lord Audley, was loaned £5,000 and Yallop eventually sued him for its return.
Kings Bench
The case took place in the court of Kings Bench which at this time was on the Parliamentary estate next to Westminster Hall. The history detectives found the Kings Bench record of the case at the Norfolk Record Office.
Public service
Whilst Yallop seems to have been focused on his business interests he did find time for public service in Norwich, serving as a Councillor, Alderman and Auditor. He was Mayor of the City in 1815 and 1831.
This dedication to civic duty seems to have been accompanied by a keen interest in politics and a desire for parliamentary reform. In 1831 he and his brother-in-law, Nathaniel Bolingbroke, took a petition on this subject from Norwich to the King. Shortly afterwards Yallop was knighted.
Waterway scheme
At the Parliamentary Archives the history detectives found evidence of Yallop's involvement in 1826 in a scheme to build a waterway from Norwich to Lowestoft. This was in the form of a list of subscribers. Yallop subscribed £200 to the project which was unsuccessful, although a similar proposal the following year was authorised by an Act of Parliament.