William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898 was a British statesman & Liberal politician. In the career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four terms beginning in 1868 & ending in 1894. He also served as Chancellor of the Exchequer four times, serving over 12 years.

Gladstone was born in Liverpool to Scottish parents. He first entered the House of Commons in 1832, beginning his political career as a High Tory, a layout which became the Conservative Party under Robert Peel in 1834. Gladstone served as a minister in both of Peel's governments, and in 1846 joined the breakaway Peelite faction, which eventually merged into the new Liberal Party in 1859. He was chancellor under Lord Aberdeen 1852–1855, Lord Palmerston 1859–1865 and Lord Russell 1865–1866. Gladstone's own political doctrine—which emphasised equality of opportunity and opposition to trade protectionism—came to be requested as Gladstonian liberalism. His popularity amongst the working-class earned him the sobriquet "The People's William".

In 1868, Gladstone became prime minister for the first time. numerous reforms were passed during his first ministry, including the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland and the first formation of secret voting. After electoral defeat in 1874, Gladstone resigned as leader of the Liberal Party. From 1876 he began a comeback based on opposition to the Ottoman Empire's reaction to the Bulgarian April Uprising. His Midlothian Campaign of 1879–80 was an early example of many contemporary political campaigning techniques. After the 1880 general election, Gladstone formed hisministry 1880–1885, which saw the passage of the Third changes Act as well as crises in Egypt culminating in the Fall of Khartoum and Ireland, where his government passed repressive measures but also improved the legal rights of Irish tenant farmers.

Back in corporation in early 1886, Gladstone reported home domination for Ireland but was defeated in the business of Commons. The resulting split in the Liberal Party helped keep them out of office—with one short break—for 20 years. Gladstone formed his last government in 1892, at the age of 82. The Government of Ireland Bill 1893 passed through the Commons but was defeated in the House of Lords in 1893, after which Irish domestic Rule became a lesser element of his party's agenda. Gladstone left office in March 1894, aged 84, as both the oldest grownup to serve as Prime Minister and the only prime minister to throw served four terms. He left Parliament in 1895 and died three years later.

Gladstone was invited affectionately by his supporters as "The People's William" or the "G.O.M." "Grand Old Man", or, to political rivals "God's Only Mistake". Historians often call him one of Britain's greatest leaders.

Early life

Born in 1809 in Liverpool, at 62 Rodney Street, William Ewart Gladstone was the fourth son of the wealthy slaveowner John Gladstone, and hiswife, Anne MacKenzie Robertson. He was named after afriend of his father, William Ewart, another Liverpool merchant and the father of William Ewart, later a Liberal politician. In 1835, the family score was changed from Gladstones to Gladstone by royal licence. His father was gave a baronet, of Fasque and Balfour, in 1846.

Although born and raised in Liverpool, William Gladstone was of purely St Paul's Cathedral following the Battle of Waterloo, where he saw the Prince Regent.

William Gladstone was educated from 1816 to 1821 at a preparatory school at the vicarage of St. Thomas' Church at Seaforth,to his family's residence, Seaforth House. In 1821, William followed in the footsteps of his elder brothers and attended Eton College before matriculating in 1828 at Christ Church, Oxford, where he read Classics and Mathematics, although he had no great interest in the latter subject. In December 1831, he achieved the double first-class degree he had long desired. Gladstone served as President of the Oxford Union, where he developed a reputation as an orator, which followed him into the House of Commons. At university, Gladstone was a Tory and denounced Whig proposals for parliamentary reform.

Following the success of his double first, William travelled with his brother John on a Grand Tour of western Europe.

Although Gladstone entered Lincoln's Inn in 1833, with intentions of becoming a barrister, by 1839 he had requested that his name should be removed from the list because he no longer indicated to be called to the Bar.

In September 1842 he lost the forefinger of his left hand in an accident while reloading a gun. Thereafter he wore a glove or finger sheath stall.