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Robert Peel prime minister of United Kingdom
Cite Share More WRITTEN BY Norman Gash Emeritus Professor of History, University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Author of Sir Robert Peel and others. See Article History Alternative Titles: Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet Robert Peel, in full Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (born February 5, 1788, Bury, Lancashire, England—died July 2, 1850, London), British prime minister (1834–35, 1841–46) and founder of the Conservative Party. Peel was responsible for the repeal (1846) of the Corn Laws that had restricted imports.
Robert Peel QUICK FACTS John Linnell: Sir Robert Peel View Media Page BORN February 5, 1788 Bury, England DIED July 2, 1850 (aged 62) London, England TITLE / OFFICE Prime Minister, United Kingdom (1841-1846) Prime Minister, United Kingdom (1834-1835) Home Secretary, United Kingdom (1828-1830) Home Secretary, United Kingdom (1822-1827) House Of Commons, United Kingdom (1809-1850) POLITICAL AFFILIATION Conservative Party Tory Party ROLE IN Corn Law FOUNDER OF Conservative Party Early Political Career
He was the eldest son of a wealthy cotton manufacturer, Robert Peel (1750–1830), who was made a baronet by William Pitt the Younger. The younger Robert was educated at Harrow and at Oxford, and, with his father’s money, a parliamentary seat was found for him as soon as he came of age, in 1809.
As an able government supporter, Peel received appointment as undersecretary for war and colonies in 1810. Two years later he accepted the difficult post of chief secretary for Ireland. There he made his reputation as a skilled and incorruptible administrator, and, at the end of his Irish secretaryship, he was marked out for early promotion. He had also distinguished himself as the ablest of the “Protestant” party that resisted the admittance of Roman Catholics to Parliament, and in 1817 he gained the coveted honour of election as member of Parliament for the University of Oxford. Though declining immediate office after his return from Ireland, he was made chairman, in 1819, of the important currency commission that brought about a return to the gold standard.
Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Subscribe today When George Canning succeeded Liverpool as prime minister in 1827, Peel resigned on the issue of Roman Catholic emancipation. He returned to office under Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, early in 1828 as home secretary and leader of the House of Commons. Differences with Wellington led to the resignation of several followers of Canning after only four months in office, which thus considerably weakened the government. This was followed by the Catholic crisis of 1828–29 that grew out of the renewal of the Irish movement for emancipation in 1823 with the formation of the Catholic Association. Its growing strength culminated in the victory of Daniel O’Connell, the Irish “Liberator,” at a by-election for County Clare in 1828. Convinced that further resistance was useless, Peel proffered his resignation and urged the prime minister to make a final settlement of the Catholic question. Faced with severe opposition from the king and the Anglican church, Wellington persuaded Peel in 1829 to remain in office and assist in carrying through the policy of concession to the Catholics on which they now bo
