The New Student's Reference Work/Brougham, Henry, Lord Brougham and Vaux

LORD BROUGHAM

Brougham (brōō'am or brōōm), Henry, Lord Brougham and Vaux, was born at Edinburgh in 1778. He was called to the English bar and soon after entered Parliament, taking sides with the Liberals. He spoke against slavery and was active in all measures of reform. He became immensely popular with the people and wielded a great influence, being recognized by the Liberals as their leader in debate. He received a peerage and became lord chancellor in the so-called Reform Ministry. As an advocate, also, though he never had a large practice, he attained some fame, his greatest speech being that in behalf of Queen Caroline against George IV. He was interested in science and literature, and his writings cover a wide range of subjects. The founding of London University was largely due to him. As an orator he was inferior only to Canning among the men of his time. He was peculiar in many ways, and while for many years the popular idol was not liked by those who worked with him. He built a chateau at Cannes, in the south of France, and died there in 1868. It was once said of him as he was passing along in a carriage: “There go Solon, Lycurgus, Demosthenes, Archimedes, Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Chesterfield and a great many more in one post-chaise.”