Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, PC, FRS (/ˈbruː(ə)m ... ˈvoʊks/; 19 September 1778 – 7 May 1868) was a British statesman who became Lord High Chancellor and played a prominent role in passing the Reform Act 1832 and Slavery Abolition Act 1833.
The Right Honourable The Lord Brougham and Vaux PC FRS | |
|---|---|
| Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | |
| In office 22 November 1830 – 9 July 1834 | |
| Monarch | William IV |
| Prime Minister | Earl Grey |
| Preceded by | Lord Lyndhurst |
| Succeeded by | Lord Lyndhurst |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| In office 22 November 1830 – 7 May 1868 Hereditary peerage | |
| Preceded by | Peerage created |
| Succeeded by | The 2nd Lord Brougham and Vaux |
| Member of Parliament for Knaresborough | |
| In office February 1830 – August 1830 | |
| Preceded by | George Tierney |
| Succeeded by | Henry Cavendish |
| Member of Parliament for Winchelsea | |
| In office 1815 – February 1830 | |
| Preceded by | William Vane |
| Succeeded by | John Williams |
| Member of Parliament for Camelford | |
| In office 1810 – November 1812 | |
| Preceded by | Lord Henry Petty |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Scott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henry Peter Brougham 19 September 1778 Cowgate, Edinburgh |
| Died | 7 May 1868 (aged 89) Cannes, Second French Empire |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Anne Eden (1785–1865) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Henry Brougham Eleanora Syme |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
Born in Edinburgh, Brougham helped found the Edinburgh Review in 1802 before moving to London, where he qualified as a barrister in 1808. Elected to the House of Commons in 1810 as a Whig, he was Member of Parliament for various constituencies until becoming a peer in 1830.
Brougham won popular renown for helping defeat the 1820 Pains and Penalties Bill, an attempt by the widely disliked George IV to annul his marriage to Caroline of Brunswick. He became an advocate of liberal causes including abolition of the slave trade, free trade and parliamentary reform. Appointed Lord Chancellor in 1830, he made a number of reforms intended to speed up legal cases and established the Central Criminal Court. He never regained government office after 1834 and although he played an active role in the House of Lords, he often did so in opposition to his former colleagues.
Education was another area of interest. He helped establish the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge and University College London, as well as holding some academic posts, including Rector, University of Edinburgh. In later years he spent much of his time in the French town of Cannes, making it a popular resort for the British upper-classes; he died there in 1868.