Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley
| The Right Honourable The Viscount Eversley GCB PC | |
|---|---|
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Lord Eversley in the 1860s. | |
| Speaker of the House of Commons | |
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In office 1839–1857 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Hon. James Abercromby |
| Succeeded by | Sir Evelyn Denison |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
22 February 1794 London, England |
| Died | 28 December 1888 (aged 94) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Emma Whitbread (d. 1857) |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley GCB, PC (22 February 1794 – 28 December 1888), was a British Whig politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1839 to 1857. He is the second-longest serving Speaker of the House of Commons, behind Arthur Onslow.
Background and education
Shaw-Lefevre was the son of Charles Shaw-Lefevre by his wife Helena, daughter of John Lefevre. His younger brother, Sir John Shaw-Lefevre, was a senior civil servant and one of the founders of the University of London, while his nephew, George, was a Liberal politician. He was educated at Winchester[1] and Trinity College, Cambridge.[1][2] In 1819 he was called to the Bar, Lincoln's Inn.[1]
Political career
Shaw-Lefevre was the son-in-law of the sister of Lord Grey,[1] the Whig Prime Minister, which advanced his career greatly. A Whig, he was Member of Parliament for Downton from 1830 to 1831,[1][3] for Hampshire from 1831 to 1832[1][4] and for North Hampshire from 1832 to 1857.[1][4] During the 1830s he was chairman of a committee on petitions for private bills and of a committee on agricultural distress. His report from the latter position was not accepted by the House of Commons but was published as a pamphlet addressed to his constituents. He acquired, says the Encyclopædia Britannica, "a high reputation in the House of Commons for his judicial fairness, combined with singular tact and courtesy." When James Abercromby retired as Speaker of the House of Commons in 1839, Shaw-Lefevre was put forward as the Whig candidate and defeated the Tory candidate Henry Goulburn by 317 votes to 299.[5] He was sworn of the Privy Council at the same time.[6]
Shaw-Lefevre remained speaker until 1857, by which time he was second-longest-serving speaker ever, after Arthur Onslow, who held the post for more than 33 years.[5] On his retirement in 1857 he was when he was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Eversley, of Heckfield in the County of Southampton.[7] He attended the House of Lords infrequently, with his last recorded speech in July 1873.[8] In 1857 he was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight, which he remained until 1888.[1] He was also an ecclesiastical commissioner and a trustee of the British Museum.[5] In 1885 he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB).[9]
Family
Lord Eversley married Emma Laura (d. 1857), daughter of Samuel Whitbread and Lady Elizabeth Grey, in 1817. They had three sons, who all died in infancy, and two daughters. The family lived at Heckfield Place in Hampshire, which was previously the seat of his maternal grandfather. Lady Eversley died in June 1857. Lord Eversley survived her by over thirty years and died in December 1888, aged 94. He is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.[10] As he had no surviving sons, the title became extinct on his death. The Eversley title was revived in 1906 in favour of his nephew, George Shaw-Lefevre.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 thepeerage.com Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st and last Viscount Eversley of Heckfield
- ↑ "Shaw-Lefevre, Charles (SHW810C)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ↑ leighrayment.com House of Commons: Dover to Dulwich and West Norwood
- 1 2 leighrayment.com House of Commons: Hackney to Harwich
- 1 2 3
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Eversley, Charles Shaw Lefevre, Viscount". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. - ↑ The London Gazette: no. 19739. p. 1113. 4 June 1939.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 21981. p. 1103. 24 March 1857.
- ↑ Hansard 1803–2005: shaw-lefevre contributions in Parliament by Charles Shaw-Lefevre
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25486. p. 3060. 3 July 1885.
- ↑ Paths of Glory. Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery. 1997. p. 89.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Charles Shaw-Lefevre
- Archival material relating to Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley listed at the UK National Archives
- Works by or about Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bartholomew Bouverie Alexander Powell |
Member of Parliament for Downton 1830–1831 With: James Brougham |
Succeeded by James Brougham Thomas Creevey |
| Preceded by John Willis Fleming Sir Thomas Baring, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Hampshire 1831–1832 With: Sir James Macdonald, Bt 1831–1832 Sir William Heathcote, Bt 1832 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Hampshire North 1832–1857 With: James Winter Scott 1832–1857 Sir William Heathcote, Bt 1837–1849 Melville Portal 1849–1857 |
Succeeded by William Wither Bramston Beach George Sclater-Booth |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Hon. James Abercromby |
Speaker of the House of Commons 1839–1857 |
Succeeded by Sir Evelyn Denison |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Heytesbury |
Governor of the Isle of Wight 1857–1888 |
Succeeded by Prince Henry of Battenberg |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Viscount Eversley 1857–1888 |
Extinct |
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