Brougham, Henry, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux

STATESMAN, WRITER (GREAT BRITAIN)
BORN 19 Sep 1778, Edinburgh: Cowgate - DIED 7 May 1868, Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes: Château Eleanore-Louise
BIRTH NAME Brougham, Henry Peter
GRAVE LOCATION Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes: Cimetière Protestant du Grand-Jas, 205 avenue de Grasse (8e Allée)

Henry Peter Brougham grew up in Edinburgh. He worked as a lawyer when he became one of the founders of the "Edinburgh Review" in 1802. He contributed many articles to the magazine, including an attack on Lord Byron's first volume of poetry "Hours of Idelness". In 1808 he was called to the bar in London, but in 1810 he became a Member of Parliament for the Whigs. He was opposed to slave trade and to trade restrictions against continental Europe.

In 1820 he represented Queen Caroline during her divorce trial and this increased his popularity. He became a leader of the liberal fraction and was among the founders of University College in London in 1828. From 1830 to 1834 he served as Lord Chancellor. In 1826 he had been the lover of the Harriette Wilson. By making a cash payment he avoided his name to be mentioned in her memoirs. He married Mary Spalding (d.1865) and they had two daughters.

After 1834 he was an active member of the House of Lords and he continued to contribute to the "Edinburgh Review". During his later years he spent much of his time in Cannes and he was largely responsible for making that city a popular resort because he was visited there by the English gentry. After he died in Cannes in 1868 he was buried at the Cimetière Protestant du Grand-Jas, where his grave is marked by a huge monument.

Related persons
• criticized Byron, George Noel Gordon
• supported Caroline von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Events
0/0/1807Publication of Lord Byron's "Hours of Idleness". It was published in June or July 1807 by S. and J. Ridge of Newark and sold by several London booksellers. The book contained thirty-nine poems on 187 pages. In 1808 it was butchered in a review in The Edinburgh Review by Henry Brougham that was published anonymously. [Byron, George Noel Gordon ]

Images

The grave of Lord Henry Brougham at the Cimetière du Grand-Jas, Cannes.
Picture by Androom (30 Nov 2008)

 

Statue of Lord Brougham, Cannes.
Picture by Androom (30 Nov 2008)

 

Sources
Winkler Prins Encyclopedie (editie 1909), 1909
Henry Brougham - Wikipedia (EN)
Hours of Idleness - Wikipedia (EN)


Brouwenstijn, Gré

Published: 15 Oct 2010
Last update: 16 May 2025