Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Hatherton
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Edward John Littleton, 1st Baron Hatherton (March 18, 1791 – May 4, 1863), was a British politician, of first the Tories and later the Whigs.
Littleton was born Edward Walhouse, and was educated at Rugby and at Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1812, he took the name of Littleton in order to inherit the property of his great-uncle Sir Edward Littleton, Bart.
Littleton also took over his great-uncle's parliamentary seat. From 1812 to 1832, he was Member of Parliament for Staffordshire and then was the MP for the southern division of that county until 1835. He spent most of that time as a Canningite Tory, but moved over to the Whigs after George Canning's death in 1827. In the House of Commons, Littleton was especially prominent as an advocate of Roman Catholic emancipation.
In January 1833, against his own wish, he was put forward by the Radicals as a candidate for the office of speaker, but he was not elected and in May 1833 he became chief secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the ministry of Earl Grey. His duties in this capacity brought him frequently into conflict with O'Connell, but he was obviously unequal to the great Irishman, although he told his colleagues to "leave me to manage Dan."
He had to deal with the vexed and difficult question of the Irish tithes on which the government was divided, and with his colleagues had to face the problem of a new coercion act. Rather hastily he made a compact with O'Connell on the assumption that the new act could not contain certain clauses which were part of the old act. The clauses, however, were inserted; O'Connell charged Littleton with deception; and in July 1834 Grey, Althorp (afterwards Earl Spencer) and the Irish secretary resigned.
The two latter were induced to serve under the new premier, Lord Melbourne, and they remained in office until Melbourne was dismissed in November 1834.
In 1835 Littleton was created Baron Hatherton, which moved him from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.
Littleton died at his Staffordshire residence, Teddesley Hall.
Littleton married Hyacinthe Mary Wellesley, daughter of the Marquess Wellesley, in October 1812.
[edit] References
- Reeve, H. (ed.) Memoirs and Correspondence relating to Political Occurrences, June-July 1834. London : 1872.
- Walpole, Sir Spencer. History of England, vol. iii. (1890).
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Sir John Cam Hobhouse | Chief Secretary for Ireland 1833–1834 | Succeeded by: Sir Henry Hardinge |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by: New Creation | Baron Hatherton 1835–1863 | Succeeded by: Edward Littleton |
