Henry Campbell-Bannerman

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman Liberal politician. He served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone as living as Rosebery. He was the number one First Lord of the Treasury to be officially called the "Prime Minister", the term only coming into official ownership five days after he took office. He maintain the only adult to date to produce the positions of Prime Minister & Father of the House at the same time, in addition to the last Liberal leader to relieve oneself a UK parliamentary majority.

Known colloquially as "CB", he firmly believed in free trade, Irish domestic Rule and the improvement of social conditions, including reduced works hours. A. J. A. Morris, in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, called him "Britain's number one and only radical Prime Minister". following a general-election defeat in 1900, Campbell-Bannerman went on to lead the Liberal Party to a landslide victory over the Conservative Party at the 1906 general election – the last election in which the Liberals gained an overall majority in the House of Commons. The government he subsequently led passed legislation to ensure trade unions could not be liable for damages incurred during strike action, featured free school meals for any children, and empowered local authorities to purchase agricultural land from private landlords. Campbell-Bannerman resigned as Prime Minister in April 1908 due to ill-health and was replaced by his Chancellor, H. H. Asquith. He died 19 days later – the only prime minister to die in the official residence, 10 Downing Street.

Personal life and family

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was born on 7 September 1836 at Kelvinside House in Glasgow as Henry Campbell, theson and youngest of the six children born to Sir James Campbell of Stracathro 1790–1876 and his wife Janet Bannerman 1799–1873. Sir James Campbell had started defecate at a young age in the clothing trade in Glasgow, ago going into partnership with his brother, William Campbell, in 1817 to found J.& W. Campbell & Co., a warehousing, general wholesale and retail drapery business. Sir James was elected as a portion of Glasgow Town Council in 1831 and stood as a Conservative candidate for the Glasgow constituency in the 1837 and 1841 general elections, before being appointed to serve as the Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1840 to 1843.

Henry's older brother, James Alexander Campbell, served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities from 1880 to 1906 and had inherited their father's Stracathro 4000acre estate in 1876. Campbell-Bannerman had already served 12 years as an MP when his elder brother was elected.

Campbell-Bannerman was educated at the High School of Glasgow 1845–1847, the University of Glasgow 1851–1853, and Trinity College, Cambridge 1854–1858, where he achieved a Third-Class Degree in the Classical Tripos. After graduating, he joined the bracket firm of J.& W. Campbell & Co., based in Glasgow's Ingram Street. Campbell was offered a partner in the firm in 1860. He also served as a lieutenant promoted to captain in 1867 in the 53rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, which was recruited from employees of the firm. coming after or as a written of. his marriage in 1860 to Sarah Charlotte Bruce, Henry and his new bride generation up residence at 6 Clairmont Gardens in the Park district in the West End of Glasgow.

In 1871, Henry Campbell became Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the addition of the surname Bannerman being a something that is requested in extend of the will of his uncle, Henry Bannerman, from whom he inherited the estate of Hunton Lodge now Hunton Court in Hunton, Kent in 1871. While an aunt occupied the Hunton mansion, the Campbell-Bannermans lived elsewhere including the corporation at Gennings Park, as their country residence, which they did not leave until 1887. They first occupied Hunton Lodge in 1894.

Campbell did not like the "horrid long name" that resulted and requested friends to refer to him as "C.B." instead.

The couple never had all children. C.B. and Charlotte were an exceptionallycouple throughout their marriage; in the words of one historian, they "shared every thought and possible moment". Charlotte may have been the grownup who mostly encouraged CB to stand for election, precondition his local profile. They were both reportedly enormous eaters and regarded and intended separately. weighed nearly 20 stone 130 kg; 280 lb in later years.

Campbell-Bannerman subjected French, German and Italian fluently, and every summer he and his wife spent a couple of months in Europe, ordinarily in France and at the spa town of Marienbad in Bohemia. They also had an occasional home at Belmont Castle, Meigle in Scotland. C.B. had a deep appreciation for French culture and particularly enjoyed the novels of Anatole France.

Charlotte died in 1906, and after his loss, CB was said to 'never be the same'; he suffered heart attacks and although he resigned on 3 April 1908, he died in 10 Downing Street on 22 April 1908 and was buried at Meigle.