Laurence Peel

Laurence Peel (28 June 1801 – 10 December 1888) was a British Tory politician and the younger brother of Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Laurence was described by one historian as "the youngest and least talented, but perhaps the most personally attractive of the Peel brothers".[1]

Laurence Peel
Peel in 1861
Member of Parliament for Cockermouth
In office
1827–1830
Serving with Viscount Garlies
Preceded byWilliam Wilson
Viscount Garlies
Succeeded byPhilip Pleydell-Bouverie
Viscount Garlies
Personal details
Born
Laurence Peel

(1801-06-28)28 June 1801
Bury, Greater Manchester
Died12 December 1888(1888-12-12) (aged 87)
Sussex Square, Brighton
Political partyTory
Spouse
Lady Jane Lennox
(m. 1822; died 1861)
RelationsSir Robert Peel (brother)
William Yates Peel (brother)
Edmund Peel (brother)
Jonathan Peel (brother)
Children6, including Sir Charles
Parent(s)Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet
Ellen Yates
EducationRugby School
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford

Early life

Peel was the sixth son of Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet and Ellen Yates.[1] Among his siblings were older brothers, Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, William Yates Peel (an MP who married Lady Jane Elizabeth Moore, daughter of Stephen Moore, 2nd Earl Mount Cashell), Edmund Peel (also an MP), and Jonathan Peel (a soldier, politician and owner of racehorses). Among his sisters was Harriet Peel (who married Robert Henley, 2nd Baron Henley) and Mary Peel (who married politician George Robert Dawson). His father was a wealthy industrialist and one of early textile manufacturers who sat in the House of Commons representing Tamworth as a 'Church and King' Tory and a staunch supporter of William Pitt the Younger. His grandfather, Robert Peel, and great-grandfather, William Peel, were both yeomen.[2]

Peel was educated at Rugby School and Christ Church, Oxford where he became close friends with the Lord Holland's son, Henry Edward Fox.[1]

Career

When he left Oxford in March 1822, his elder brother Robert, who had recently appointed Home Secretary in Lord Liverpool's ministry, took Laurence into the office as his unpaid private secretary. In 1827, he was elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Cockermouth.[3] Peel was an undistinguished Member who is not known to have spoken in debate. He voted against Catholic relief and for the spring guns bill on 23 March 1827. He held the seat until 1830.[1]

After leaving Parliament in 1830, Peel and his wife devoted themselves to the promotion of charitable and religious causes.[1] His eldest brother, Robert, became Prime Minister in 1841.[1]

Personal life

Reportedly, Peel seems to have "flirted with homosexuality" at Oxford, but on 20 July 1822, just after coming of age, he married Lady Jane Lennox (c.1800-1861),[4] the daughter of the late Duke of Richmond, his elder brother Robert's former chief in Ireland.[5] Lady Jane's mother was the former Lady Charlotte Gordon (sister and heiress of line of George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon).[6] Together, Lady Jane and Laurence were the parents of four sons and two daughter:[1][7]

Lady Jane died on 27 March 1861.[10] Peel died at his house at 32 Sussex Square, Brighton, on 10 December 1888, "having provided handsomely for his surviving children."[1]

Inheritance

On his marriage his father settled on him an annual income of £2,000, with £800 a year to go to Lady Jane in the event of his death. In 1826, however, on attaining the age of 25, he became entitled to £60,000 of the £106,000 which his father had allotted him.[1] Peel, who had been ill and was recovering at Tunbridge Wells, had exceeded his allowance for a London house by taking on the unnecessarily large 11 Connaught Place. His brother Robert had to loan him cash to tide him over avoiding Laurence having a falling out with their father. His marriage settlement was annulled with approximately £47,000 of Laurence's portion being invested to provide £2,000 a year, and giving him control of the remaining £13,000. He got rid of the Connaught Place house and moved to a smaller home off Grosvenor Square. On his father's death in 1830, Laurence received the rest of his inheritance, a total of £135,000 like his four older brothers. His eldest brother Robert inherited the vast majority of their father's estate.[1]

References

  1. "PEEL, Laurence (1801-1888), of 43 Park Street, Grosvenor Square, Mdx". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  2. "Peel, Laurence (1801–1888)". www.oxforddnb.com. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  3. "House of Commons constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)". Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages. Archived from the original on 20 December 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. "Lady Jane Peel (née Lennox)". www.npg.org.uk. National Portrait Gallery, London. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  5. Swinton, Blanche Arthur Georgina (1893). A Sketch of the Life of Georgiana, Lady de Ros: With Some Reminiscences of Her Family and Friends, Including the Duke of Wellington. John Murray. p. 13. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  6. "Richmond, Duke of (E, 1675)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  7. Britain, Great (1846). Private Laws. p. 15. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  8. "Templemore, Baron (UK, 1831)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  9. "John Partridge | PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR LENNOX PEEL". www.sothebys.com. Sotheby's. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  10. Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. p. 3336.
  11. "Combermere, Viscount (UK, 1827)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
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