William Thackeray Marriott
Encyclopedia
Sir William Thackeray Marriott PC
QC
(1834 – 27 July 1903), was a British barrister and Liberal
and later Conservative
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1893.
Marriott was the third son of Christopher Marriott, of Crumpsall
, and his wife Jane Dorothea, daughter of John Poole, and was educated at St John's College, Cambridge
. He was ordained deacon
in 1858 and became curate
of St George's, Hulme
, where he was a supporter of the rights of the working classes. However, he declined to take priest's orders for conscientious reasons the following year. Marriott instead entered Lincoln's Inn
in 1861 and was called to the Bar
in 1864. He established a successful legal practice and was appointed a Queen's Counsel
in 1877 and elected a Bencher
of Lincoln's Inn in 1879. In 1880 he entered Parliament for Brighton
as a Liberal
. However, he soon became disillusioned with the Liberal leadership and his 1884 pamphlet "The Liberal Party and Mr Chamberlain" led to a bitter personal controversy with Joseph Chamberlain
. He also attacked William Ewart Gladstone
's policies in Egypt
. In 1884 he resigned his seat in the House of Commons
and offered himself for re-election as a Conservative
, and was re-elected in March 1884.
When the Conservatives came to power in 1885 under Lord Salisbury
, Marriott was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Judge Advocate General, a post he held until the government fell in 1886. He held the same office in Salisbury's 1886-1892 administration
and was knighted in 1888. From 1887 to 1888 he was a counsel for Isma'il Pasha
, the deposed former Khedive
of Egypt, in his lawsuit against the Egyptian government, and secured him a compensation of £1.2m. In 1892 he became Chancellor of the Primrose League
and was one of the main organiser behind a petition against the 1893 Irish Home Rule Bill
brought forward by Gladstone. The latter year Marriot resigned his seat in Parliament in order to resume a legal career. He later emigrated to South Africa
.
Marriott married Charlotte Louisa, daughter of Captain Tennant, of Neewood House, Hamsphire, in 1872. He died in July 1903.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(1834 – 27 July 1903), was a British barrister and 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...
and later Conservative
Conservative 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...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1893.
Marriott was the third son of Christopher Marriott, of Crumpsall
Crumpsall
Crumpsall is a suburban area and electoral ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is about north of Manchester city centre...
, and his wife Jane Dorothea, daughter of John Poole, and was educated at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. He was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1858 and became curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of St George's, Hulme
Hulme
Hulme is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. Located immediately south of Manchester city centre, it is an area with significant industrial heritage....
, where he was a supporter of the rights of the working classes. However, he declined to take priest's orders for conscientious reasons the following year. Marriott instead entered Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in 1861 and was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in 1864. He established a successful legal practice and was appointed a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1877 and elected a Bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of Lincoln's Inn in 1879. In 1880 he entered Parliament for Brighton
Brighton (UK Parliament constituency)
Brighton was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until it was divided into single-member seats from the United Kingdom general election, 1950...
as a 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...
. However, he soon became disillusioned with the Liberal leadership and his 1884 pamphlet "The Liberal Party and Mr Chamberlain" led to a bitter personal controversy with Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain was an influential British politician and statesman. Unlike most major politicians of the time, he was a self-made businessman and had not attended Oxford or Cambridge University....
. He also attacked William Ewart 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...
's policies in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. In 1884 he resigned his seat in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
and offered himself for re-election as a Conservative
Conservative 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...
, and was re-elected in March 1884.
When the Conservatives came to power in 1885 under Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
, Marriott was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Judge Advocate General, a post he held until the government fell in 1886. He held the same office in Salisbury's 1886-1892 administration
Conservative Government 1886-1892
Principal source: C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900...
and was knighted in 1888. From 1887 to 1888 he was a counsel for Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha , known as Ismail the Magnificent , was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of the United Kingdom...
, the deposed former Khedive
Khedive
The term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
of Egypt, in his lawsuit against the Egyptian government, and secured him a compensation of £1.2m. In 1892 he became Chancellor of the Primrose League
Primrose League
The Primrose League was an organisation for spreading Conservative principles in Great Britain. It was founded in 1883 and active until the mid 1990s...
and was one of the main organiser behind a petition against the 1893 Irish Home Rule Bill
Irish Government Bill 1893
The Government of Ireland Bill 1893 was the second attempt made by William Ewart Gladstone, as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to enact a system of home rule for Ireland...
brought forward by Gladstone. The latter year Marriot resigned his seat in Parliament in order to resume a legal career. He later emigrated to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Marriott married Charlotte Louisa, daughter of Captain Tennant, of Neewood House, Hamsphire, in 1872. He died in July 1903.