Charles Pelham Villiers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Pelham Villiers
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Engraving by John Cochran after a portrait by C. A. Du Val.
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| President of the Poor Law Board | |
| In office 9 July 1859 – 26 June 1866 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Viscount Palmerston The Earl Russell |
| Preceded by | Thomas Milner Gibson |
| Succeeded by | Gathorne Hardy |
| Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South Wolverhampton (1835–1885) |
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| In office 6 January 1835 – 16 January 1898 |
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| Monarch | William IV Victoria |
| Preceded by | William Wolryche-Whitmore |
| Succeeded by | John Lloyd Gibbons |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 January 1802 |
| Died | 16 January 1898 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | British |
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| Alma mater | St John's College, Cambridge |
Charles Pelham Villiers (born January 3, 1802 – died January 16, 1898) was an important British lawyer and politician. He came from a well-known family called the Villiers family. He served in the House of Commons for an amazing 63 years, from 1835 to 1898. This makes him the longest-serving Member of Parliament (MP) ever. He also holds the record for being the oldest person to win a parliamentary seat, at 93 years old!
Villiers was a strong supporter of change and worked with other reformers like John Bright. He played a big part in the Anti-Corn Law League, a group that fought to remove special taxes on imported grain. These taxes made food expensive. After these laws were removed in 1846, food became more affordable for everyone. Later, he became the President of the Poor-Law Board in 1859. In this role, he helped create new laws to improve public health and create jobs. He also worked with Florence Nightingale to improve nursing care for the poor.
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Early Life and Education
Charles Pelham Villiers was the son of George Villiers and Theresa Parker. His grandfather was Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon. Charles also had a brother, George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon.
He went to school at East India Company College and then to St John's College, Cambridge. After his studies, he became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer, in 1827. In 1839, he was given the special title "the Honourable Charles Pelham Villiers" because of his family's status.
A Career in Politics
Villiers believed in political ideas that focused on making life better for many people. He had a long career helping the public and working in Parliament. In 1832, he became a Poor Law Commissioner, helping to manage laws for people in poverty. From 1833 to 1852, he worked in a legal role called an examiner of witnesses.
Fighting for Free Trade
In 1835, Villiers was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton. Every year from 1837 to 1845, he tried to get Parliament to remove the Corn Laws. These laws put taxes on imported grain, which made bread and other foods very expensive for ordinary people.
In 1838, he spoke to a huge crowd of over 5,000 working-class people in Manchester. He told them that their support showed the working class was on his side. Even though he didn't succeed right away, his efforts were very important. In 1840, he joined a committee that gathered evidence against the Corn Laws. This evidence helped convince the government to make changes.
The information from this committee was published and shared widely by the Anti-Corn Law League. It was even printed in America and talked about in newspapers. People called Villiers a "solitary Robinson Crusoe" for standing alone in his fight against the Corn Laws. But his hard work paid off. By 1845, the number of MPs who wanted to keep the Corn Laws had dropped significantly.
When the Corn Laws were finally removed in 1846, newspapers praised Villiers. They called him the "most persevering and undaunted supporter" of the change. People even wanted to give him money to thank him, but he politely refused.
Other Important Work
Villiers was also a member of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. He attended a big meeting in London in 1840 to fight against slavery.
In 1853, he became a member of the Privy Council, a group of advisors to the Queen. He served as Judge Advocate General (a legal advisor for military law) from 1852 to 1858.
From 1859 to 1866, he was the President of the Poor Law Board. This meant he was in charge of the system that helped the poor. He worked to improve conditions for people in workhouses, which were places where poor people lived and worked. He helped pass the Public Works (Manufacturing Districts) Act of 1863, which created jobs in public health projects.
He also worked with Florence Nightingale, a famous nurse, on the Metropolitan Poor Act of 1867. This law helped improve healthcare for the poor and made nursing a more professional job in workhouses.
Later Years in Parliament
Villiers was offered a special title as a peer in 1885, but he turned it down. In 1886, he switched to the Liberal Unionist party. From 1890 until his death in 1898, he was known as the Father of the House of Commons. This title is given to the MP who has served the longest without a break.
Even though he was the longest-serving MP, he last attended Parliament in 1895. Throughout his time in Parliament, he strongly supported free trade (allowing goods to be bought and sold without taxes) and was against home rule for Ireland (Ireland governing itself). He is remembered as a key voice for free trade before other famous reformers like Richard Cobden and John Bright became well-known.
Personal Life
Charles Pelham Villiers never married. He passed away in January 1898, at the age of 96. He is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery. There is a statue of him in West Park in Wolverhampton, honoring his contributions.
