Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux

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Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux

Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux / bɹuːm ænd vəʊks / (born September 19, 1778 in Edinburgh ; † May 7, 1868 in Cannes ) was a writer, lawyer, scientist, member of the British Whigs party and a staunch opponent of slavery . As a member of the British Government, he was instrumental in the Reform Act 1832 and the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. In 1820 he was defender of the British Queen Caroline of Braunschweig in the Pains and Penalties Bill hearing, with which George IV tried to deprive her of the Queen's rights.

Life

The early years

Henry Brougham was born in Edinburgh , where the family had been influential for centuries. Brougham was educated at the Royal High School in Edinburgh and then studied science, math and law at the University of Edinburgh . He published several scientific articles on the Royal Society that dealt with light and color as well as optical effects. Only 25 years old he was named a “Fellow of the Royal Society”. However, Brougham preferred a career in law to an academic career. He also worked as a journalist and was one of the founders of the Edinburgh Review , for which he wrote articles in science, politics, literature, medicine, mathematics and art history. Henry became a member of the Freemasons Association in Stornoway . His box was the Fortrose Lodge located there . He later became a member of the Cannongate Kilwinning Lodge in Edinburgh.

Political career until 1830

The success of the Edinburgh Review also made Henry Brougham known in London. He was soon a well-known figure in London society, winning among others the friendship of Lord Gray and other leading members of the Whig party. In 1806 he was sent to Portugal by Charles James Fox , who was responsible for foreign policy in the government at the time, as a member of a diplomatic delegation . The aim of the mission was to prevent the impending French invasion of Portugal. During these years he also became a staunch opponent of slavery.

Despite his notoriety, Brougham only got a seat in the House of Commons in a Rotten borough in 1810 , which he lost two years later. Until 1816 he was without a parliamentary seat; when he regained a seat in parliament, he became one of the most influential members of the lower house. One of the goals he pursued was above all the creation of educational opportunities for the lower classes and a legal reform.

Defender of the Caroline von Braunschweig

In 1812 Henry Brougham became one of the most important advisors to the Caroline of Braunschweig, at that time the Princess of Wales. Crown Prince Georg married the German princess in 1796 in order to get rid of his debts through this legal relationship. The marriage proved to be a disaster from the start. Caroline von Braunschweig became pregnant on her wedding night - the Crown Prince later assured him that he only had sexual intercourse with her that night - and the couple tolerated each other until their daughter Charlotte Augusta was born. After that, the two went their separate ways. Caroline von Braunschweig lived in a suburb of London, where she led an unconventional life free from courtly constraints.

The crown prince's goal, however, was to divorce his wife. Several attempts were made between 1810 and 1820 to prove that Caroline von Braunschweig had, among other things, a life that the wife of the heir to the throne, regent and later king was not appropriate. Henry Brougham became the Queen's chief defender and intervened several times on her behalf. After the death of George III. the Crown Prince succeeded his father as George IV. However, he did not want to grant Caroline von Braunschweig the rights of a queen. Since a normal divorce process would have given Caroline von Braunschweig the opportunity to discuss her husband's extramarital relations, the Pains and Penalties hearing was initiated instead in 1820 . This gave the British Parliament the right to annul the marriage between George IV and Caroline von Braunschweig if she should prove to be unworthy of her role as Queen. The main prosecutor accused Caroline von Braunschweig of adultery with one of her Italian servants.

At that pains and penalties hearing, Henry Brougham was the Queen's principal defender. The prosecution had called a number of the Queen's servants to the stand, but they could only provide evidence of a relationship between Caroline and her servant. In cross-examination, Henry Brougham was able to show that the prosecution witnesses had, in some cases, drawn considerable financial benefits from supporting the other side, which seriously undermined their credibility. This led to the UK government withdrawing the Pains and Penalties Bill. The process, which caused a sensation nationwide, made Brougham one of the most famous men in the UK.

Lord Chancellor

In 1830 Brougham was appointed Attorney General in the government of Charles Gray, 2nd Earl Gray . A short time later he was offered the office of Lord Chancellor and he was raised to the nobility as Baron Brougham and Vaux . He held this office for four years, most recently under William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne . After the Tories took over government in 1834, Brougham also lost his office.

family

Brougham married Mary Spalding in 1821, with whom he had two daughters who, however, died before their parents. For this reason, Brougham was given the title of Baron Brougham and Vaux again in 1860, but now with a special note that he could pass on to his younger brother and his male descendants. This happened in particular because of his special merit in the abolition of slavery.

From 1835 Brougham lived with his wife temporarily in Cannes , which he discovered and then became a fashionable seaside resort. There he is buried at the Cimetière du Grand Jas . Statues by Brougham can be found in both the cemetery and the promenade in Cannes.

swell

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Die kleine Enzyklopädie , Encyclios-Verlag, Zurich, 1950, Volume 1, page 236
  2. ^ Robert A. Minder: Freemason Politicians Lexicon , study publisher; Innsbruck 2004, 350 pages, ISBN 3-7065-1909-7
predecessor Office successor
New title created Baron Brougham and Vaux
1830-1868 		Title expired
New title created Baron Brougham and Vaux
1860-1868 		William Brougham

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Brougham, Henry, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brougham and Vaux, Henry Peter Brougham 1st Baron
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British writer, lawyer, scientist, politician, member of the House of Commons and opponent of slavery
DATE OF BIRTH September 19, 1778
PLACE OF BIRTH Edinburgh
DATE OF DEATH May 7, 1868
Place of death Cannes