Prime Minister William E. Gladstone (Great Britain) Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Gladstone (1809-1898) was first elected to Parliament as a Tory in 1832 and spent sixty years in and out of the leadership of the British government. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer, with interruptions brought on by changes of leadership, from 1852-1865. By now a Liberal and head of that Party, he served four stints as Prime Minister (1868-1874, 1880-1885, 1886 and 1892-1894). A religious man who brought a moralistic tone to government, he was disliked by both Queen Victoria and by his Conservative Party rival Benjamin Disraeli, whose funeral he failed to attend.  He promoted important reforms, however, notably home rule for Ireland and the extension of the franchise (eventually to the entire adult male population). After his marriage (1839), he lived at his wife's family home, Hawarden.