John Shaw Lefevre facts for kids
Shaw Lefevre as caricatured by Ape (Carlo Pellegrini) in Vanity Fair, July 1871
Sir John George Shaw Lefevre was an important British lawyer and government worker. He was also a politician who belonged to the Whig party. He lived from 1797 to 1879 and helped shape many things in Britain.
Contents
Sir John Shaw Lefevre's Life and Work
Early Life and Education
John Shaw Lefevre was born in 1797. His father was Charles Shaw Lefevre, a Member of Parliament. John's older brother, Charles, later became Viscount Eversley.
John went to Trinity College, Cambridge, a famous university. He was very smart and graduated as the "Senior Wrangler" in 1818. This means he was the top math student in his year! After college, he became a lawyer. He joined the Inner Temple, which is one of the places where lawyers are trained. In 1820, he became a member of the Fellow of the Royal Society, a group for important scientists.
Important Jobs and Achievements
In 1832, Shaw Lefevre became a Member of Parliament for Petersfield. However, he lost his seat a few months later.
He then worked for the government. In 1834, he was an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. This job involved helping to manage Britain's army and its colonies around the world.
Later that year, he became a Poor Law Commissioner. This was a big job after a new law, the Poor Law Amendment Act, was passed. These commissioners helped manage how the government supported poor people. He worked in this role until 1841.
From 1856 to 1875, he held a very important position. He was the Clerk of the Parliaments. This person is in charge of all the official records and procedures in the House of Lords.
Shaw Lefevre also helped start the University of London. He served as its Vice-Chancellor for many years. This means he was a very important leader at the university. For all his hard work, he was given a special honor in 1857. He became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).
His Family
In 1824, Shaw Lefevre married Rachel Emily Wright. They had one son who survived, named George. George followed in his father's footsteps and became a well-known politician. He was later given the title Baron Eversley.
Sir John and Rachel also had five daughters. One of their daughters, Madeleine Shaw-Lefevre, became the first leader of Somerville Hall. This was one of the first colleges for women at Oxford University. Another daughter, Rachel, married Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, whose father was a Prime Minister.
Sir John George Shaw Lefevre passed away in August 1879 when he was 82 years old. His wife, Rachel, lived for six more years and died in 1885.
Lasting Legacy
Sir John Shaw Lefevre's name lives on in a place far away. The Lefevre Peninsula in South Australia was named after him. This happened in 1837 by Governor John Hindmarsh. Shaw Lefevre was one of the people who helped set up the colony of South Australia.
After he died, his wife gave his large collection of Russian books to the University of London Library in 1880. This was a valuable gift for students and researchers.
