Russell (of Kingston Russell), John Russell, 1st Earl 1792-1878
English statesman

Born in London, the third son of the 6th Duke of Bedford, he studied at the University of Edinburgh, and in 1813 was returned as MP for Tavistock. His strenuous efforts in favour of reform won many seats for the Liberals at the 1830 election. Wellington was driven from office, and in Earl Grey's ministry Russell became paymaster of the forces. He was one of the four members of the government entrusted with the task of framing the first Reform Bill (1832). In 1834 he left office with Lord Melbourne, but with the downfall of Robert Peel in 1835 he became Home (and later Colonial) Secretary and Leader of the Lower House. Immediately after the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 Peel was defeated and Russell became Prime Minister, at the head of a Whig administration (1846-52). In Lord Aberdeen's coalition of 1852 he was Foreign Secretary and Leader of the Commons again, but his inopportune Reform Bill (1854), the mismanagement of the Crimean campaign and his bungling of the Vienna conference combined to make him unpopular, and for four years he was out of office. In 1859 he returned as Foreign Secretary, under Lord Palmerston, and in 1861 was created Earl Russell. On Palmerston's death in 1865 he again became Prime Minister but was defeated in June on his attempt to introduce another Reform Bill and resigned.