Before you is a real record holder - this respectable man headed the Parliament of Great Britain four times, the last time he took the high chair at the age of 82. His views were too radical for his era.
This man happened to rule the Parliament of Great Britain in what would later be called the Golden Age of the Empire. Unfortunately, not everyone knows his name, and contemporaries did not always understand this eccentric.
Childhood
Sir John Gladstone lived with his family in Liverpool. He was Scottish, but the wealth of his successful trading operations and nobility made him a respected member of society. His wife gave birth to six children, among whom was William Ewart. The boy was born in December 1809.
The parents paid great attention to the upbringing of their children. They were instilled in Christian ideals of morality and taught to understand the intricacies of the political life of England. Our hero's daddy was elected to Parliament in 1819 and at home often started talking about politics. His mother encouraged William's interest in creativity. The teenager became interested in poetry and himself loved to write poetry. In 1921 he was sent to study at the Eton School, and after graduation he entered the University of Oxford.
Youth
In 1828, William Gladstone joined the student fraternity. Since his school years, he participated in the publication of handwritten journals, therefore, at the university, the first thing he did was organized a literary circle. In his classes, young people discussed not only the fine arts, but also social problems. The teachers were suspicious of such hobbies of youths and predicted big trouble for the instigator of indecent gatherings.
After completing his education in 1832, William was forced to admit that his rebellious inclinations were caused exclusively by the despotism that reigned there. The guy gravitated towards conservatism. He intended to become a priest, but his father did not approve of this decision of his son. He sent the heir to rest in Italy. Abroad, the young man met his peers who had already made a career in Parliament. They convinced their new friend to join the Tories and run for Newark.
Fame and love
William Gladstone's comrades turned out to be right - the young man's original ideas and emotional speeches allowed him to win the elections and quickly gain popularity among the people and among colleagues. He was noticed by the Conservative leader Robert Peel, and in 1834 the aspiring politician became the Junior Lord of the Treasury. The only thing that the patron did not approve of in Gladstone's activities was his passion for literature. According to an experienced parliamentarian, it was not worth wasting time on nonsense.
In 1839, our hero was introduced to Catherine Glynn. William liked this girl, and in the same year he became her husband. The couple had three sons, of whom the elder followed in his father's footsteps, the middle one became a pastor, and the younger taught history at Oxford University. The statesman was happy in his personal life, therefore he was not afraid of storms in the arena of political battles.
Change to change
Working in the Treasury and dealing with the management of the colonies, William Gladstone became increasingly disillusioned with the patriarchal order of the Motherland. He made a number of proposals of a radical nature. This led to a quarrel with Peel and resignation in 1845. Two years later, these gentlemen had to meet again in the offices of power. It turned out that old friends are in many ways like-minded people. In 1852, William Gladstone took over the Treasury and left the Tories.
The new position involved frequent business trips. The official visited the colonies of Great Britain and countries that London had a serious influence. Our hero decided that the empire must contribute to their well-being. In 1867he took part in the revision of the fundamental laws of the kingdom and insisted on their liberalization. After 2 years, Gladstone became the country's prime minister.
People's tribune
The politician, who is well acquainted with the needs of ordinary people, initiated and carried out the abolition of the bond of the church with state institutions in Ireland, the ransoms from conscription into the army, and contributed to educational programs. Wanting to become his own for all the British, Gladstone refused the post of head of the Liberal Party. It didn't help, his ideas were too bold. In 1874 the government was dissolved.
The ex-prime minister wanted to leave Parliament forever, but the world situation did not allow him to do so. The Turkish expansion in the Balkans hurt his religious feelings. William Gladstone was outraged that the new government was not going to help Christians. He returned to the political arena to stigmatize cowards. The result was a proposal from the queen to lead Parliament. In 1880, the second premiership of our hero began.
Frantic
The Empress liked this progressive-minded old man. The only thing she could not allow was the start of a war against Turkey. Gladstone was asked to moderate clerical fervor and engage in domestic politics. The result was a proposal to give independence to Ireland. The famous reformer was dismissed in 1885 and returned to his chair a year later - England could not do without him. The last time Gladstone took a high post was in 1892. At that time he was 82 years old.
After retirement in 1894, William Gladstone moved to a mansion in Wales. He retold his biography to the younger members of the family and argued that the task of every good Christian is to fight against the Ottomans. A veteran of the British Parliament died in 1898.
