Ralph Bernal facts for kids

Ralph Bernal (born in 1783 or 1784, died in 1854) was a British politician and a big collector of art. He was part of the Whig party, which was a major political group in Britain at the time.

Who Was Ralph Bernal?

Ralph Bernal came from a family of Sephardi Jews, who were originally from Spain and Portugal. Even though his family had Jewish roots, he was baptized in a church in London. His father worked as a merchant, buying and selling goods.

Early Life and Talents

When he was young, Ralph Bernal became an actor. He was very good at performing in plays by William Shakespeare. People noticed that he was a fantastic speaker, which is called having great oratory skills. This talent for speaking well would later help him in his political career.

A Career in Politics

Ralph Bernal became a Member of Parliament (MP), which means he was elected by people to represent them in the British government. He served as an MP for several areas:

• From 1818 to 1820, he represented Lincoln.
• From 1820 to 1841, and again from 1847 to 1852, he represented Rochester.
• From 1842 to 1847, he was the MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.

The End of Slavery and Compensation

In the 1830s, the British government made slavery illegal across its empire with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. After this, a law called the Slave Compensation Act 1837 was passed. This law meant that the government paid money to people who had owned slaves. Ralph Bernal was one of the people who received money. He owned 564 slaves in Jamaica and received a payment of £11,458. This money came from a large loan that the British government took out, which was eventually paid back by British taxpayers.

Collector and Historian

Besides politics, Ralph Bernal was very interested in history and art. In 1853, he became the president of the British Archaeological Association. This group studies old objects and historical sites.

He also built up a huge collection of art, including glass, ceramics, and many other beautiful items. After he passed away, his collection was sold in an auction. There were about 4,000 different items, and they sold for a total of £70,000, which was a very large sum of money at the time.

His Family

Ralph Bernal married Ann Elizabeth White in 1806. Their oldest son was Ralph Bernal Osborne. He also became a politician. He changed his last name to Osborne when he married the daughter of Sir Thomas Osborne.