Page 53 - All About History - Issue 56-17

Hero or Villain?
SIR ROBERT PEEL

Defining
moment Taken in the 1850s,
this photograph
Edward Drummond is shot shows a police
Sir Robert Peel is shocked when he learns officer in a uniform
that his private secretary Edward Drummond deliberately designed
had been shot by Daniel M’Naghten. After to look non-military
Drummond’s death, Peel learns that the bullet
may have been intended for him and M’Naghten
is acquitted on the grounds of insanity. The
case leads to the establishment of a legal
test for insanity, which then becomes
enshrined in law in many countries
the world over.
20 January 1843

Peel split his party to reform the Corn
Laws and ease Irish suffering during
the Potato Famine of 1845-52

“He reformed prisons through […]employing on support from the Whigs and the Radicals, but a

hard-fought victory was eventually his.
surgeons and chaplains in jails, paying gaolers, The impact was huge. An era of free trade had
been ushered in and the modern Conservative
educating inmates and forbidding alcohol” Party emerged. Peel had shown great skill in
knowing when to push for reform, and he had
“pretty hand at hauling down his colours”. His was the Tories won the 14th UK election with 367 seats ultimately placed the national interest above that
not the only cutting opinion, though. against the Whigs’ 271 in 1841 and Peel became of his party and himself.
Peel was generally perceived to be a functional, prime minister for the second time, his government However, his backbenchers felt he had betrayed
dull politician lacking charisma — although Queen rolled up its sleeves and got down to work. them and a huge split emerged after Peel resigned
Victoria warmed to him later, she observed, “He is The Mines and Collieries Act of 1842 banned all just three days later when he was defeated on
such a cold, odd man.” He liked to work with facts children under ten from working underground in another bill. Those loyal to him eventually formed
and rarely displayed humour in public. coal mines and the Factories Act of 1844 outlawed the Liberal Party in 1859, but Peel didn’t see this —
Some of the most scathing attacks came from night working. The Corn Laws would always be the he died after falling from his horse on 2 July 1850.
fellow Tory Benjamin Disraeli, who repeatedly crowning glory, though, defining Peel forever in the On his passing, much praise was heaped upon
clashed with him in the Commons over his change minds of many. him. Queen Victoria said, “Everyone seems to have
of heart with regards to the Corn Laws. Peel was He knew that the Irish Potato Famine in 1845 lost a personal friend.” The Duke of Wellington told
called a “burglar of other’s intellect”. “He hacked could not be ignored, that millions of people were the Lords, “I never knew a man in whose trust and
and mangled Peel with the most unsparing starving and being forced to eat grass and roots. justice I had a more lively confidence.” It was clear
severity,” diarist Charles Greville wrote in 1846. He had actually sought to lessen the hardship by he’d made his mark, but it would be 28 years before
But his U-turns were not flip-flops. He didn’t start secretly buying and shipping £100,000-worth the Conservatives would win another majority.
with one position, change it and go back over and of maize and cornmeal from America to Ireland.
over. Once his mind changed, that was his stance. The bright yellow foodstuff was dubbed ‘Peel’s Was Sir Robert Peel a hero or a villain?
Curiously, he’d always gone from a position right brimstone’ but still wasn’t enough. Cheap imports Let us know what you think
of the political spectrum to one on the left, but his were needed in order to reduce the price of food
laws were, on the whole, progressive. That first term and so Peel went on the offensive, ignoring his own Facebook Twitter © Alamy
as prime minister only lasted 100 days, but when party and eventually splitting them. He had to rely /AllAboutHistory @AboutHistoryMag
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