Arthur Wellesley Peel, 1st Viscount Peel
Encyclopedia
Arthur Wellesley Peel, 1st Viscount Peel PC (3 August 1829 – 24 October 1912), was a British
Liberal
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1895. He was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1884 until 1895 when he was raised to the peerage
.
Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel by his wife Julia, daughter of General Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet
, and was named after Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington
. He was educated at Eton
and Balliol College
, Oxford.
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Warwick
in the 1865 general election
and held the seat until 1885 when it was replaced under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
. From 1868 to 1873 he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board, and then became Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
. In 1873–1874 he was patronage secretary to the Treasury
, and in 1880 he became Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs in the second Gladstone
government. On the retirement of Sir Henry Brand
in 1884, Peel was elected Speaker of the House of Commons.
In the 1885 general election
, Peel was elected for Warwick and Leamington. Throughout his career as Speaker, the Encyclopædia Britannica
says, "he exhibited conspicuous impartiality, combined with a perfect knowledge of the traditions, usages and forms of the House, soundness of judgment, and readiness of decision upon all occasions." Though now officially impartial, Peel left the Liberal Party over the issue of Home Rule
and became a Liberal Unionist. Peel was also an important ally of Charles Bradlaugh
in Bradlaugh's campaigns to have the oath of allegiance changed to permit non-Christians, agnostics and atheists to serve in the House of Commons.
Peel retired at the 1895 general election
and was created Viscount Peel, of Sandy in the County of Bedford. In 1896 he was chairman of a Royal Commission into the licensing laws. The Peel Report recommended that the number of licensed houses should be greatly reduced. This report was a valuable weapon in the hands of reformers.
, who was created Earl Peel
in 1929. Peel's second son the Hon. Sidney Peel
was also a politician and was created a Baronet in 1936.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1895. He was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1884 until 1895 when he was raised to the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
.
Background and education
Peel was the youngest son of the ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel by his wife Julia, daughter of General Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet
Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet
General Sir John William Floyd, 1st Baronet , was a British cavalry officer.Born on 22 February 1748, he was the oldest child of Captain John Floyd and Mary Floyd ....
, and was named after Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, Oxford.
Political career
Peel was elected LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Warwick
Warwick (UK Parliament constituency)
Warwick was a parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Warwick, within the larger Warwickshire constituency of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then to the...
in the 1865 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
and held the seat until 1885 when it was replaced under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
. From 1868 to 1873 he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board, and then became Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in the United Kingdom was a member of Parliament assigned to assist the Board of Trade and its President with administration and liaison with Parliament. It replaced the Vice-President of the Board of Trade....
. In 1873–1874 he was patronage secretary to the Treasury
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial position in the British Government. The holder is usually the Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons. However, the office is no longer attached to the Treasury...
, and in 1880 he became Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs in the second Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
government. On the retirement of Sir Henry Brand
Henry Brand, 1st Viscount Hampden
Henry Bouverie William Brand, 1st Viscount Hampden GCB, PC , was a British Liberal politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1872 to 1884.-Background and education:...
in 1884, Peel was elected Speaker of the House of Commons.
In the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, Peel was elected for Warwick and Leamington. Throughout his career as Speaker, the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
says, "he exhibited conspicuous impartiality, combined with a perfect knowledge of the traditions, usages and forms of the House, soundness of judgment, and readiness of decision upon all occasions." Though now officially impartial, Peel left the Liberal Party over the issue of Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
and became a Liberal Unionist. Peel was also an important ally of Charles Bradlaugh
Charles Bradlaugh
Charles Bradlaugh was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists of the 19th century. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866.-Early life:...
in Bradlaugh's campaigns to have the oath of allegiance changed to permit non-Christians, agnostics and atheists to serve in the House of Commons.
Peel retired at the 1895 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
and was created Viscount Peel, of Sandy in the County of Bedford. In 1896 he was chairman of a Royal Commission into the licensing laws. The Peel Report recommended that the number of licensed houses should be greatly reduced. This report was a valuable weapon in the hands of reformers.
Family
Peel married Adelaide, daughter of William Stratford Dugdale, in 1862. She died in December 1890. Lord Peel remained a widower until his death in October 1912, aged 83. He was succeeded by his eldest son William Wellesley PeelWilliam Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel
William Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel GCSI, GBE, PC, TD was a British politician.-Background and education:...
, who was created Earl Peel
Earl Peel
Earl Peel is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1929 for the Conservative Party politician William Wellesley Peel, 2nd Viscount Peel, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1921 to 1922, Secretary of State for India from 1921 to 1922 and 1928 to 1929 and First...
in 1929. Peel's second son the Hon. Sidney Peel
Sir Sidney Peel, 1st Baronet
The Honourable Sir Sidney Cornwallis Peel, 1st Baronet , was a British soldier, financier and Conservative politician....
was also a politician and was created a Baronet in 1936.