Henry Peter Brougham 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux

Home > People > History > British and Irish History: Biographies

Brougham, Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778–1868). From a minor gentry family in Westmorland, educated at Edinburgh University, Brougham was one of the most eminent lawyers of his time. He helped to found the Edinburgh Review and his contributions made it the leading political journal of the day. He qualified for the English bar in 1802 and entered the House of Commons in 1810. He was a brilliant speaker, supporting the liberal wing of the Whig Party and espousing the causes of anti‐slavery, popular education, and legal reform. Brougham was mistrusted by his party leaders who considered his support of Queen Caroline to be motivated by desire for personal advancement. His support of popular causes, particularly anti‐slavery, gained him election as MP for Yorkshire in 1830, and when the Whigs came to power he expected high office. He reluctantly accepted the post of lord chancellor with a peerage because it meant giving up the House of Commons and a lucrative income at the bar. He carried through a series of important legal reforms but disagreements with his colleagues led Melbourne not to reappoint him in 1834. Brougham never returned to office and became markedly eccentric in later life.