William Ewart Gladstone | British Statesman William Ewart Gladstone British Prime Minister and Political Reformer William Ewart Gladstone. Kean Collection/Getty Images By Robert McNamara Updated December 31, 2015. William Ewart Gladstone was a dominant and controversial figure in Victorian England and the leading British statesman of the 19th century. He served in the British government from the 1830s to the 1890s, and as Prime Minister of Britain on four occasions he reformed both British government and society. Gladstone is often viewed as the moral and political voice of the Victorian era, yet he was famously disliked by Queen Victoria . One of Gladstone's lifelong obsessions was the "rescuing" of English prostitutes, and his activities in that regard made some question his motivations and even his sanity. Early Life of Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone was born on December 29, 1809 in Liverpool. His family was of Scottish descent, and his father, Sir John Gladstone, became a wealthy merchant in the port city of Liverpool and had investments in slave plantations in the West Indies.

After being educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, Gladstone took a trip to Italy and then returned to Britain and was elected to Parliament. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Though he would become the leader of the Liberal Party, he was first elected as a Tory. His first address in Parliament was a defense of slave owners in the West Indies, in which he used his father as an example. Gladstone's Politics Shifted from Conservative to Liberal In the British government Gladstone was at first aligned with Sir Robert Peel, but throughout the 1840s Gladstone’s politics evolved until he began taking positions more in line with the Liberal party. A trip to Naples in the early 1850s, where he witnessed extreme poverty, may have helped drive him away from Tory orthodoxy. In the 1850s Gladstone served as chancellor of the exchequer, the chief financial officer of the British government, and was influential in passing financial reforms, including the abolition of many taxes and tariffs. Leader of the Liberal Party In the late 1850s Gladstone gravitated toward a newly formulated Liberal party and became its leader.

Gladstone's party won an overwhelming majority in the elections of 1868, and he became prime minister. He focused on reforms, which were often targeted at reducing the influence of privilege and making British institutions, such as civil service and the military, open to those beyond the privileged classes. Gladstone and the Issue of Irish Home Rule: Gladstone served four terms as prime minister: 1868-1874 1886 1892-94 During his first term as prime minister Gladstone pushed reforms intended to improve the lot of the Irish peasantry. In fact, Gladstone became intensely interested in the "Irish question," and many of his ideas for reform were focused on Britain's administration of Ireland . Gladstone, throughout the late 1800s, often advocated "home rule" for Ireland. While it wasn't a call for outright Irish independence, it was considered by many a radical position. Bitter Rivalry With Benjamin Disraeli The other leading political player in Victorian Britain was Benjamin Disraeli, who, like Gladstone, held a variety of government posts and served as Prime Minister.

For decades Gladstone and Disraeli were rivals, and it is known that they detested each other. The two men came from very opposite backgrounds, and while they were both highly intelligent, they often battled on opposite sides of an issue. And they also had different relationships with Queen Victoria, who liked Disraeli and complained bitterly of Gladstone's attitude toward her. Gladstone's Attacks on Disraeli Were Effective Gladstone was opposed to Britain's imperial foreign policy. And in the late 1870s, while out of power, he published a controversial pamphlet attacking the foreign policy of Benjamin Disraeli , who was the current prime minister. The title of the pamphlet, "Bulgarian Horrors and the Questions of the East" seems utterly obscure today, but Britain's policy in the near-east was a huge topic of debate at the time. Disraeli's policy supported Turkey, and Gladstone, horrified by Turkish atrocities in the Balkans, denounced it. Gladstone's appeal to the voters brought him back as prime minister in 1880.

Gladstone's Personality was Controversial Gladstone was renowned for his intellect and his oratory, but he often clashed with Queen Victoria, and his hatred of Disraeli was legendary. When Disraeli died, Gladstone refused to attend his funeral. While disliked by some in power, Gladstone remained popular with the public over a span of decades. Gladstone had married Catherine Glynne in 1839. His marriage was happy and he and Catherine had eight children. Gladstone found himself in failing health and resigned his final term as prime minister at the age of 85. He died in 1898, at the age of 89. Gladstone's Obsessions Gladstone was obsessed with physical fitness, and one of his hobbies was felling large trees with an ax. He was also dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of London prostitutes. For many years, even while serving as prime minister, he would walk the streets at night, approach prostitutes, and offer to give them shelter and a way to a respectable life. This activity may may have stemmed from a deep religious conviction. Yet it raised eyebrows in British society, and has engendered speculation to the present day.

History of William Ewart Gladstone - GOV.UK GOV.UK William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 1892 to 1894, 1886 to 1886, 1880 to 1885, 1868 to 1874 Born 19 May 1898, Hawarden Castle, Flintshire Dates in office 1892 to 1894, 1886 to 1886, 1880 to 1885, 1868 to 1874 Political party Liberal Major acts Representation of the People Act 1884: increased the number of men who were eligible to vote in an election. Gave the vote to men paying an annual rent of at least £10 or all those holding land valued at £10. (Of course, women were still ineligible). Government of Ireland Bill 1886 and 1893 (aka Home Rule Bills): attempts by Gladstone to allow a system of home rule in Ireland. The first bill was rejected by the Commons, the second was vetoed by the Lords.

Thus, it never became law. Interesting facts He served as Prime Minister for 4 separate periods. More than any other Prime Minister. “The love of freedom itself is hardly stronger in England than the love of aristocracy.” Queen Victoria described him as a “half-mad firebrand” while to a large part of the British working classes he was the "Grand Old Man". Four times prime minister, Gladstone provoked strong reactions. Gladstone was elected Tory MP for Newark in December 1832, aged 23, with ultra-conservative views. In Parliament he spoke out against the abolition of slavery, because his family used slaves on their West Indian plantation. He also opposed the recent democratic electoral reforms. Gladstone’s talent for public speaking caught the attention of Robert Peel , then Prime Minister, who made him a Junior Lord of the Treasury and later Under-Secretary at the Colonial Office. He followed Peel in resigning in 1835, and spent the following 6 years in Opposition. In 1840 Gladstone began his ‘rescue and rehabilitation’ of London’s prostitutes. Even while serving as Prime Minister in later years, he would walk the streets, trying to convince prostitutes to change their ways.

He spent a large amount of his own money on this work. In 1845 he resigned over Peel’s decision to make a grant to a Roman Catholic theology school in Ireland. This caused some confusion, as he was known to favour the policy himself. He rejoined Peel’s government later that year as Colonial Secretary. When the Tory party broke apart in 1846, Gladstone followed Peel in becoming a Liberal-Conservative, now believing strongly in free trade. In 1847 he returned to Parliament as MP for Oxford University, having lost his Newark seat. In 1858, he turned down a position in the Earl of Derby ’s Conservative government, because he no longer believed in protectionism and did not want to work with Disraeli . Instead he became Chancellor of the Exchequer in Aberdeen’s coalition of Whigs, Peelites and radicals in 1863, where he proved himself to be an outstanding minister. He was Chancellor again under Palmerston between 1859 and 1865, though their relationship was an uncomfortable one, and yet again under Russell from 1865 to 1866.

During these years he became persuaded of the case for a wider franchise, saying: “Every man who is not presumably incapacitated by some consideration of personal unfitness or of political danger is morally entitled to come within the pale of the Constitution.” In 1867, Gladstone became leader of the Liberal party following Palmerston’s resignation, and became Prime Minister for the first time the following year. His policies were intended to improve individual liberty while loosening political and economic restraints. Ireland was another area of Gladstone’s concern. He successfully passed an act to disestablish the Church of Ireland and an Irish Land Act to tackle unfair landlords, but was defeated on an Irish University Bill proposing a new university in Dublin open to Catholics and Protestants. But in 1874 a heavy defeat at the general election led to his arch-rival Disraeli becoming Prime Minister. Gladstone retired as leader of the Liberal Party, but remained an intimidating opponent, attacking the government fiercely over their weak response to Turkish brutality in the Balkans, known as the Eastern Crisis. In 1880 he became Prime Minister for a second time, much against Queen Victoria’s will.

Her dislike of him was strong, complaining that he “addresses me as though I were a public meeting”. For 2 years he combined the offices of Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Yet trouble overseas created problems. He failed to rescue General Gordon from Khartoum, leading to the loss of British control in Sudan, and a dent in Gladstone’s popularity. Critics reversed his ‘GOM’ nickname (for ‘Grand Old Man’) to ‘MOG’ (‘Murderer of Gordon’). In 1885 the government’s Budget was defeated, prompting him to resign, with Lord Salisbury becoming Prime Minister. Gladstone declined an earldom offered by Queen Victoria, preferring to remain in office. In February 1886, aged 76, he became Prime Minister for the third time. Working in alliance with the Irish Nationalists, he immediately introduced an Irish Home Rule Bill, proposing a parliament for Ireland. It was defeated, and he lost the General Election held in July 1886. Gladstone devoted the next 6 years to convincing the British electorate to grant Home Rule.

Campaigning on the issue, the Liberals won the 1892 election, and he returned for a fourth administration. He once more introduced the Irish Home Rule Bill, but it was rejected by the Lords. He resigned in March 1894, having failed to retain the support of his Cabinet. Gladstone died on 19 May 1898 from cancer, which started behind the cheekbone and spread across his body. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Help us improve GOV.UK BBC - History - Historic Figures: William Ewart Gladstone (1809 - 1898) z William Ewart Gladstone © Four-times Liberal prime minister of Great Britain, Gladstone was one of the dominant political figures of the Victorian era and a passionate campaigner on a huge variety of issues, including home rule for Ireland. William Ewart Gladstone was born on 29 December 1809 in Liverpool, the son of a prosperous merchant. He was educated at Eton and Oxford University and was elected to parliament in 1832, as a Tory.

He made his mark from the start and held junior offices in Robert Peel's government of 1834 - 1835. Although he was slowly moving towards liberalism, in 1843 Gladstone entered Peel's Conservative cabinet. When the Conservatives split in 1846, Gladstone followed Peel in becoming a Liberal-Conservative. Between 1846 and 1859 Gladstone was politically isolated, although he held some cabinet posts, including chancellor of the exchequer, a position he would ultimately hold three times. In 1859, he joined the Liberals, becoming their leader in 1867 and the following year, prime minister for the first time. His government created a national elementary programme and made major reforms in the justice system and the civil service. Ireland was always a focus for Gladstone. In 1869 he disestablished the Irish Protestant church and passed an Irish Land Act to rein-in unfair landlords. A heavy defeat in the 1874 general election led to Gladstone's arch-rival Benjamin Disraeli becoming Conservative prime minister, and Gladstone retired as Liberal leader.

He remained a formidable government opponent, attacking the Conservatives over their failure to respond to Turkish brutality in the Balkans - the 'Eastern Crisis'. In 1880, Gladstone became prime minister for the second time, combining this with the office of chancellor for two years. His failure to rescue General Charles Gordon from Khartoum and slow reaction to other imperial issues cost him dear, and in 1885 the government's budget was defeated, prompting him to resign. Gladstone's third (1886) and fourth (1892 - 1894) terms as prime minister were dominated by his crusade for home rule in Ireland. The years he was out of office were devoted to the issue as well. His first home rule bill in 1886 split the Liberal Party and was rejected. In 1893, another home rule bill was rejected by the House of Lords. Gladstone found himself increasingly at odds with his cabinet and, in 1894, he resigned. He died of cancer on 19 May 1898 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898) William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898) [ Victorian Web Home —> Political History —> Prime Ministers ] William Ewart Gladstone served as Prime Minister four times — from 3 December 1868 to 17 February 1874; from 23 April 1880 to 9 June 1885; from 1 February to 20 July 1886; and from 15 August 1892 to 2 March 1894. Gladstone, who was born on 29 December 1809 at Rodney Street, Liverpool, was the fourth son and fifth child of a family of six born to Sir John Gladstone and his wife Anne Mackenzie Robertson. Sir John Gladstone made his fortune in trade especially with America and the West Indies: it was there that he owned sugar plantations. William Gladstone was educated at a preparatory school at Seaforth Vicarage near Liverpool before attending Eton between 1821 and 1827.

From there he went to Christ Church, Oxford, between 1828 and 1831. In 1831 he spoke at the Oxford Union against the Reform Act, saying that any electoral reform would lead to revolution. His Degree was in Classics but he also studied Mathematics and in 1831 was awarded a Double First in the subjects. In the 1832 election following the passing of the Reform Act he was elected as the Tory MP for Newark-on-Trent, on the influence of the Duke of Newcastle; he took the seat of Michael Sadler, the factory reformer . He then went on a Grand Tour of Europe, visiting Belgium, France and various centres in Italy. On his return in 1833 he entered Lincoln's Inn, but by 1839 he had requested that his name should be removed from the list because he no longer intended to be called to the Bar. Gladstone's maiden speech was made on 3 June 1833 during the Committee stage of the Bill for the Abolition of Slavery in the British empire. His father was a West Indian slave-owner and Gladstone defended him against allegations of maltreating his slaves.

The following year Gladstone was appointed as a junior Lord of the Treasure by Sir Robert Peel who had just formed his first ministry. Two weeks later Disraeli and Gladstone met for the first time: Gladstone was appalled by Disraeli's "foppish" attire. Later in life the two would become great parliamentary rivals; there was no friendship between them throughout their long political lives. On 27 January Gladstone was made Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies but his appointment lasted only until April when Peel resigned. In June 1839 Gladstone became engaged to Catherine Glynne, the daughter of Sir Stephen Glynne of Hawarden Castle. The Glynnes were an old Whig family and Catherine was related through the maternal line to the Grenville family. The couple were married the following month and had a family of four boys and four girls. In January 1840 Gladstone began his work of rescuing and rehabilitating London prostitutes, and in 1848 he founded the Church Penitentiary Association for the Reclamation of Fallen Women.

Following the defeat of Lord Melbourne 's government in 1841, Sir Robert Peel formed his second ministry and Gladstone was appointed to the post of Vice-President of the Board of Trade; he accepted reluctantly on the grounds that his lack of knowledge of trade made him unfit for the appointment. It was in his official capacity that he first dined with Queen Victoria at Buckingham palace and was appalled to find that there was no chaplain present and that grace was not said prior to the meal. In May 1843 Gladstone was made President of the Board of Trade and a Cabinet member; he was responsible for the passing of the ' parliamentary train Act ' in 1844 that provided for one train each way, each day, carrying third class passengers at no more than 1d. per mile at not less than 12 miles per hour. In 1838 Gladstone had published his book The Church and its Relations to the Church, in which he said that the State possessed a conscience and had a duty to distinguish between truth and error in religion. Doctrinal differences were, therefore, matters of great importance.

The Established Church was the conscience of the English state, and that State was bound to give an active , informed, consistent, and exclusive financial and general support to the Anglican religion which was of the purest and most direct Apostolic descent. [Magnus, p. 35.] He had also attacked the annual grant of £9,000 that was given to the Maynooth Seminary in Ireland, saying that giving money for the training of Roman Catholic priests was inappropriate for a Protestant nation and would lead to mortal danger. However, in 1844 Peel was attempting to pursue a policy of conciliation in Ireland . A perpetual grievance of the Catholic Church in Ireland was the disparity in finances between the wealth of the Anglican establishment that ministered to about a twelfth of the people and the poverty of the Catholic Church, that ministered to the vast majority of the population. Peel had no intention of changing the privileges of the Anglican Church but did enter into indirect communication with the Vatican about how to conciliate Catholic opinion. In February 1845 Peel proposed to increase — and make permanent — the Maynooth grant from £9,000 to £30,000 p.a.

Although in the interim, Gladstone had changed his mind about the value of the grant, he had not repudiated his book: he wanted to vote for the increase but felt that he could not do so as a Minister in the government. He tendered his resignation rather than compromise his integrity. Peel's reaction was, 'I really have great difficulty sometimes in comprehending what Gladstone means'. In 1846 Gladstone's sister Helen had been restrained by the Lunacy Commission; she had a long history of instability and opium addiction; she also had had a series of lovers but the final straw for Gladstone was her conversion to Roman Catholicism. He could tolerate her other failings but not her apostasy. However, Gladstone was happy to join with Disraeli in 1847 in voting for Lord John Russell's motion to allow Jews to take the oath on becoming a member of the House of Commons. Gladstone's high moral stance was a source of irritation to his colleagues. As Henry Labouchere said: while he had no objection to Gladstone's habit of concealing the ace of trumps up his sleeve, he did object to his reiterated claim that it had been put there by Almighty God.

In 1848 the third Chartist petition was presented; Gladstone served as a Special Constable, as did Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, soon to be the Emperor Napoleon III of France. Gladstone did not return to office until 1852 when the Earl of Aberdeen formed his ministry; Gladstone was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer and based his first Budget on public expenditure economies. One of his first acts was to order the Foreign Office to stop using large thick sheets of double notepaper when single, thinner sheets would do. Gladstone also 'invented' the postcard on grounds of economy. He also decided to maintain income tax as an equitable means of collecting revenue for the government. Soon it became necessary to increase the levels of tax because Aberdeen allowed Britain to drift into the Crimean War in 1854; Gladstone increased taxation from 7d in the £1 to 10½d in the £1. Aberdeen's handling of the war led to the ministry's downfall and in 1855 Palmerston formed his first ministry without Gladstone who resigned in protest at Palmerston's acceptance of a Committee of Inquiry into the conduct of the war.

He did accept the post of Lord High Commissioner Extraordinarily to the Ionian Islands- a British protectorate-between November 1855 and June 1859 when he returned to take up the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer in Palmerston's second ministry; along with Palmerston, Gladstone was one of the founding members of the Liberal Party in 1859. However, their working relationship was not easy and Gladstone said later that he never attended a Cabinet meeting during this time, without ensuring that he carried a letter of resignation in his pocket. Gladstone's second Budget followed the Cobden Treaty with France, a reciprocity agreement that called for another increase in income tax to cover the shortfall of revenue for the government. The treaty did bring about a decrease in the standard of living, however, since foodstuffs became cheaper. His introduction of the Post Office Savings Bank enables small savings to be made by ordinary people and gave an extra source of revenue for government purposes. As a result of this, he was able to reduce income tax in 1861; he also brought about the single Money Bill form of the Budget; this meant that henceforward, Budgets had to be accepted or rejected in their entirety.

The Hon. Emily Eden commented to Lord Clarendon in 1860 that if Gladstone 'were soaked in boiling water and rinsed until he were twisted into rope, I do not suppose a drop of fun would ooze out'. Disraeli's assessment of Gladstone was that he 'had not one single redeeming defect'. During the American Civil War (1861-65) Gladstone provided relief work on the Hawarden estates for workers in the Lancashire cotton industry who had been put out of work because of the blockade of the Confederate ports by the North, preventing the export of raw cotton. Nevertheless, in 1863 he attempted to tax the incomes of charities on the grounds that all money was a trust from God and should be taxed like everything else. His proposal was defeated in the Commons. He supported the second Reform Bill that was intended to lower the franchise qualification in towns, saying, 'I venture to say that every man who is not presumably incapacitated by some consideration of personal unfitness or of political danger is morally entitled to come within the pale of the Constitution'. This was seen by the radicals as a move towards universal suffrage, which horrified the Queen and also resulted in him losing his seat at Oxford.

Following the death of Palmerston, Gladstone served in Lord John Russell 's ministry as Leader of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was responsible for the first attempt to extend the franchise, in 1866; he also continued to reduce duties on imported goods. In December 1868 Gladstone was appointed as PM for the first time following the Liberal victory in the General Election that followed the passing of the second Reform Act and Gladstone announced that his 'mission was to pacify Ireland'. The ministry ( 1868-74 ) passed a whole spate of reforms but lost the 1874 general election at which Disraeli 's Tory party won a majority. In 1876 Gladstone published The Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East, attacking the government's policy towards the Ottoman Empire. During this period, Gladstone constantly attacked the PM and ultimately launched his Midlothian Campaign prior to the next general election on 1880.

He was able to discredit Disraeli and the Liberals won the election; Gladstone had offended Queen Victoria in 1866 when he refused to support the purchase of gun metal for a memorial to Prince Albert that was to be erected in Kensington Gardens, and relations between the two were always difficult. Gladstone formed his second ministry even though Queen Victoria attempted to appoint Lord Hartington instead. The queen was widely reported to have commented that, 'He speaks to me as if I were a public meeting'. Just before she appointed Gladstone, Victoria wrote to Sir Henry Ponsonby that she would 'sooner abdicate than send for or have anything to do with that half-mad fire-brand who would soon ruin everything and be a dictator'. The second ministry was taken up mainly with Irish affairs. Gladstone was obliged to increase income tax from 5d to 6d in the £ and he also increased the duty on beer. A Coercion Act for Ireland was passed in an attempt to deal with increasing violence and Gladstone was able to pass the second Irish Land Act that introduced the 'three Fs"-fixity of tenure, fair rents, and free sale of land.

Just after the Bill went through parliament, Disraeli died; not surprisingly, Gladstone did not attend the funeral. Although Gladstone was a committed Anglican, in 1881 he introduced a Bill that would enable non-believers to affirm their allegiance to the Crown. Jews and Quakers were already able to do that, but not atheists. Charles Bradlaugh had been expelled from the House of Commons on four occasions because of his atheism. Eventually Bradlaugh moved his own Affirmation Bill in 1888 but in the attempt to secure fair treatment for Bradlaugh, Gladstone brought down a great deal of criticism on his own head. The following year, Lord Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Burke were murdered in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Cavendish — Gladstone's nephew-by-marriage-was the Chief Secretary for Ireland; Burke was his Undersecretary Gladstone introduced an even more severe Coercion Act as a result of the murders. Gladstone's foreign policy was less successful than his domestic policies. The British army was involved in actions in the Sudan and Afghanistan.

General Gordon disobeyed orders to evacuate Khartoum in 1884 and Gladstone was blamed for his death when the town fell to the Mahdi and his troops. In the same year, Gladstone's ministry passed the third Reform Act and also the Redistribution Act that provided for alterations being made to constituency boundaries. However, the Conservatives and Irish Nationalists worked together to remove Gladstone's ministry; he resigned on 9 June 1885 and was replaced by the Marquess of Salisbury . On 17 December 1885, Gladstone's son Herbert revealed to the press that his father was dedicated to achieving Home Rule for Ireland: the incident has become known as the 'Hawarden Kite'. Herbert Gladstone's announcement did nothing to endear his father to the Liberals or the Irish and gave the Conservatives another stick with which to beat the elderly statesman. The Irish saw an opportunity to wring concessions from the British government and joined the Liberals to defeat the Conservatives : this political seesaw continued for many years.

In January 1886 Gladstone formed his third ministry at the age of 76; by that time the Liberal Party was divided over his Irish policies and he failed to have the legislation passed. Gladstone called an election but found himself attacked from all directions; the Conservatives won and he resigned. In 1890 the Liberal-Irish alliance ended with the Parnell scandal and in 1891 Gladstone announced the 'Newcastle Programme' that included a battery of reforms as well as Home Rule for Ireland. The Liberals won a majority at the 1892 election and Gladstone formed his fourth and last ministry. Soon afterwards he introduced another Home Rule Bill that failed in the House of Lords; almost concurrently he refused to accept the increased Naval estimates and resigned on 2 March 1894. His last speech was delivered in Liverpool; it was a protest against the Armenian massacres in Turkey. On 19 May 1898 Gladstone died at Hawarden and he was later buried in Westminster Abbey. He was 88 years old. Recommended reading Feuchtwanger, E.J. Gladstone. London, 1989. Magnus, P.

Gladstone: A Biography. London, John Murray, 1954 Matthew, H.C.G. Gladstone 1809-1898. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1996. Timeline of William Ewart Gladstone's Life Marjie Bloy , PhD William Ewart Gladstone 1809 Born on 29 December in Liverpool, the fourth son (and fifth child of six) of Sir John Gladstone and his second wife, Anne Mackenzie Robertson. 1821 Having completed his primary education, Gladstone went to Eton . 1828 Gladstone went to Christ Church College , Oxford. 1831 Gladstone made a speech at the Oxford Union against the Reform Bill arguing that electoral reform would mean revolution. He gained a double First Degree in Mathematics and Classics. 1832 Gladstone was elected as a Tory for the borough of Newark-on-Trent under the patronage of the Duke of Newcastle. 1833 Gladstone made his maiden speech in Parliament during the Committee stage of the Emancipation Bill . He defended his father against accusations about the treatment of slaves on his plantations in the West Indies.

1834 [December] He was appointed as a Junior Lord of the Treasury in Sir Robert Peel 's first administration. 1835 [January] He was appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. 1835 [April] Peel resigned as Prime Minister and Gladstone left office. 1839 [July] Gladstone married Catherine Glynne at Hawarden. Catherine's father Sir Stephen Glynne owned the house; he was a baronet and the local squire. Hawarden became the Gladstone home after the marriage. 1840 [January] Gladstone began his work of rescuing and rehabilitating prostitutes in London. 1841 [September] Gladstone accepted the post of Vice-President of the Board of Trade in Peel's second ministry. 1843 [May] Peel appointed Gladstone as President of the Board of Trade. Gladstone became a member of the Cabinet. 1844 [August] The first general Railway Act was steered through Parliament by Gladstone. The legislation became known as the "Parliamentary Train Act".

1845 [February] Gladstone resigned from the Cabinet because he disagreed with the increase in the grant to Maynooth Seminary in Dublin. 1845 [December] Peel invited Gladstone to join the government as Colonial Secretary. Gladstone had to stand for re-election but failed to gain a seat until July 1847. Nevertheless, he remained a member of Peel's Cabinet. 1848 Gladstone enrolled as a Special Constable and was called out during the Chartist rallies. He founded the Church Penitentiary Association for the Reclamation of Fallen Women , along with Bishops Wilberforce and Bloomfield. 1852 The Earl of Aberdeen formed a coalition government. Gladstone was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer and presented his first budget in April 1853. 1854-6 The Crimean War . Gladstone increased Income Tax from 7d to 10&#189d in the ï¿½ in anticipation of increased government expenditure. 1855 Aberdeen was forced to resign because of the inept handling of the Crimean War .

Palmerston became Prime Minister and Gladstone resigned because he disagreed with Palmerston's decision to accept J.A. Roebuck's proposed Committee of Inquiry into the conduct of the war. 1858 Gladstone became Lord High Commissioner Extraordinary to the Ionian Islands until March 1859. The islands were a British Protectorate until they were united with Greece. 1859 [June] Palmerston formed his second ministry and Gladstone became Chancellor of the Exchequer again. 1860 The Cobden Treaty was signed with France. In his second budget, Gladstone reduced considerably the number of articles subject to customs duty. The budget reduced the cost of living and his reputation as a financier grew. 1861 The Post Office Savings Bank was established. This enabled people with small savings to open a bank account. 1862 Gladstone and his wife provided relief work on the Hawarden estate for Lancashire cotton workers who had been thrown out of work because of the blockade of Confederate ports, preventing the export of cotton. 1864 Gladstone committed himself to supporting a Bill to lower the franchise qualification. This pleased the Radicals but horrified both Queen Victoria and Palmerston.

1865 Because of his support of an extension of the franchise, Gladstone lost his Oxford University seat in the General Election. He was returned as MP for Lancashire at a later poll in the same election. 1865 Lord John Russell became Prime Minister (for the second time) following the death of Palmerston. Gladstone continued as Chancellor of the Exchequer. 1866 Gladstone introduced the Representation of the People Bill which proposed to lower the franchise qualification. The Bill was opposed by the Conservatives and also by some Liberals. Russell's government resigned. 1868 Gladstone was elected as MP for Greenwich following his defeat in Lancashire in the General Election. He became Prime Minister for the first time in December. He announced that his "mission was to pacify Ireland". 1868-74 Gladstone's first ministry. 1869 Disestablishment of the Irish Church Act. 1870 Forster's Education Act abolition of the purchase of commissions in the Army 1872 Ballot Act Licensing Act 1874 The Tories won the General Election and Disraeli became Prime Minister. Gladstone resigned.

1875 Gladstone resigned as Leader of the Liberal Party but continued to sit on the Opposition Front Bench. 1876 Gladstone's book The Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East was published. In it, Gladstone attacked Disraeli's foreign policy. 1879 Gladstone's Midlothian Campaign. He made a two-week tour of the country prior to the General Election and was received enthusiastically by the people. 1880 Gladstone was returned as MP for both Leeds and Edinburghshire at the General Election. He chose to sit for Edinburghshire; his son Herbert was elected for Leeds and his son William was elected for Worcestershire East. Disraeli resigned without waiting for parliament to meet. Queen Victoria asked Lord Hartington to form a ministry but he persuaded her to send for Gladstone. Gladstone formed his second ministry and decided also to take on the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer. 1881 The Irish Coercion Act was passed, giving the Viceroy the power to detain people for as "long as was thought necessary". The second Land Act was passed. Disraeli died. Gladstone did not attend the funeral.

1882 Lord Frederick Cavendish (the Chief Secretary for Ireland) and T.H. Burke (the Undersecretary) were murdered in Phoenix Park, Dublin. An even more severe Coercion Bill was introduced as a result of the murders. Gladstone resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer. 1884 General Gordon reached Khartoum from whence he was supposed to evacuate the people. He decided to defeat the Mahdi instead. Gladstone was forced by "jingoism" to send help to Gordon. The third Reform Act was passed The Redistribution of Seats Act was passed. 1885 The fall of Khartoum. Gordon and his forces were massacred two days before Lord Wolseley's relief expedition arrived. Gladstone was held to be responsible for Gordon's death and he was given the nickname "Gordon's Own Murderer" to replace the "Grand Old Man". The government was defeated on the budget by an alliance of Conservatives and Irish Nationalists. Gladstone resigned and Lord Salisbury became Prime Minister. Queen Victoria offered Gladstone an earldom, which he declined.

1885 [December] The "Hawarden Kite": Herbert Gladstone leaked to the press that his father was in favour of a policy of Home Rule in Ireland. 1886 The Conservatives vowed to maintain the union of Great Britain and Ireland. Gladstone and the Irish Nationalists joined forces to defeat the government. Salisbury resigned. Gladstone became Prime Minister for the third time, combining the office with that of Lord Privy Seal. Gladstone introduced a Home Rule Bill for Ireland which was defeated. Gladstone resigned following the Conservative victory in the General Election. 1890 The Irish-Liberal alliance ended after the O'Shea divorce case in which Charles Stuart Parnell was cited as co-respondent. 1891 Gladstone announced the "Newcastle programme" of Home Rule for Ireland, the disestablishment of the Church in Scotland and Wales, universal manhood suffrage and triennial parliaments. 1892 The Liberals won a majority in the General Election and Gladstone became Prime Minister for the fourth time, again combining the office with that of Lord Privy Seal. 1893 The second Home Rule Bill was introduced to parliament and was defeated by the House of Lords.

1894 Gladstone resigned as Prime Minister but continued to sit as an MP until the General Election when he finally retired from parliament. 1896 In his last public speech, in Liverpool, Gladstone protested against the massacres of Armenians in Turkey. 1898 [19 May] Gladstone died at Hawarden. He was buried in Westminster Abbey .

Question: What was the first name of British Prime Minister Gladstone?
Answer: William