| William
Ewart Gladstone was born in Liverpool on 29 December 1809. Gladstone was
a successful Liverpool merchant and MP. He was was educated at Eton and
Christ College, Oxford where he developed a reputation as a fine orator.
At university Gladstone was a Tory and denounced Whig proposals for parliamentary
reform.
Gladstone's long and distinguished career in public service began in 1832
when he entered Parliament as a Tory. He served until 1895 in various
governments and was famous as Disraeli's rival.
As Chancellor the Exchequer in Aberdeen's Government his attempts to cut
duties and income tax failed due to the Crimean War and the need for funds.
When he became Prime Minister in 1868 he was an active legislator and
reformer, responsible for the dis-establishment of the Church of Ireland
- an unsuccessful attempt to bring peace to Ireland. In 1868 he reformed
legislation making peacetime flogging illegal. In 1870 he carried the
Irish Land Act to assist tenant farmers evicted by landowners. Also in
1870 he was responsible for the Forester's Education Act which made elementary
education available to Enlglish and Welsh children between the ages of
five and thirteen.
Gladstone's first ministry ended in 1874, replaced by Disraeli. As opposition
leader, Gladstone remained active, a vocal critic of his opposite number's
policies. He was re-elected in 1879 with a British defeat in the Boer
War eclipsing many of his reforms. His third, short term ministry was
dominated by Irish affairs and he resigned when his bill to support home
rule for Ireland was defeated.
Gladstone's last term as Prime Minister again saw him again resign following
another failed attempt to pass the home rule bill. He left in 1893 and
died four years later with cancer.
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