Peel, Sir Robert 1788-1850
English statesman and Prime Minister

He was born near Bury, in Lancashire, the son of Sir Robert Peel (1750-1830), from whom he inherited a great fortune. He was educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford, and entered parliament in 1809 as Tory member for Cashel. In 1811 he was appointed Under-Secretary for the colonies, and became Secretary for Ireland (1812-18). Known as 'Orange Peel' he displayed strong anti-Catholic spirit, and was so fiercely attacked by Daniel O'Connell that he challenged him to a duel. From 1818 till 1822 he remained out of office, but was MP for the University of Oxford. In 1819 he was chairman of the Bank Committee, and moved the resolutions which led to the resumption of cash payments. In 1822 he re-entered the Ministry as Home Secretary, working well with George Canning, Foreign Secretary and devoting himself to the currency. However, when Canning formed a Whig-Tory ministry, Peel, along with the Duke of Wellington and others, withdrew from office over Catholic emancipation (1827). Paradoxically, when the death of Canning led to the Wellington-Peel government in 1829, it advocated the relief of the Roman Catholics. As Home Secretary Peel organized the London police force (the 'Peelers' or 'Bobbies'). In 1830 the Wellington-Peel ministry was succeeded by a Whig ministry under Earl Grey, which, in 1832, carried the Reform Bill. Peel opposed parliamentary reform and sought to hamper the new Liberalism. Rejected by Oxford in 1829, but returned for Westbury, he represented Tamworth from 1833 till his death. In November 1834 he accepted office as Prime Minister but was replaced by Lord Melbourne in April 1835. The general election of 1841 was virtually a contest between Free Trade and Protection, and Protection won. The Conservative Party, headed by Peel, were returned to office. The Whigs wanted a fixed but moderate duty on foreign corn, and the Anti-Corn-Law League demanded repeal while Peel carried (1842) a modification of the sliding-scale. Obliged to impose (1842) an income tax of 7d in the pound, to be levied for three years, Peel revised the general tariff, and either abolished or lowered the duties on several very important articles of commerce. He repressed Irish unrest, and broke O'Connell's influence, and in 1845 the Irish unsectarian colleges were founded. But the potato blight in Ireland, and subsequent famine, rendered cheap corn a necessity. Richard Cobden and the League redoubled their exertions. Peel informed his colleagues that the Corn Laws were doomed. Lord Stanley (afterwards Earl of Derby), who replaced Peel, Lord George Bentinck, Benjamin Disraeli and others, formed a 'no-surrender' Tory party, but with the Duke of Wellington, Sir James Graham, the Earl of Aberdeen, William Gladstone and other eminent Conservatives the Laws were repealed. Defeated on an Irish Protection of Life Bill, he retired in June 1846, giving place to a Whig administration under Lord John Russell to which he gave independent but general support. During 1847-48 he was one of the most important props of the government, whose free trade principles he had now accepted. He had a keen interest in sport, literature and the arts. On 29 June 1850, he was thrown from his horse, and died.

Bibliography: Norman Gash, Sir Robert Peel (1972)