Francis Charles Lawley
Encyclopedia
Francis Charles Lawley was a British journalist and Liberal Party
politician.
He was the youngest son of Paul Thompson, 1st Baron Wenlock
, and after schooling in Hatfield attended Rugby School
in May 1837. In 1848 he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford
with a second-class honours degree in Literae Humaniores
. He entered Inner Temple as a student in 1847, but failed to be called to the bar, instead gaining a BCL
. In 1852 he was elected as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Beverley
, and also became private secretary
to William Ewart Gladstone
during his time as the Chancellor of the Exchequer
in the same year.
In June 1854 he was considered for the position of Governor
of South Australia, but was swiftly discounted after a political scandal forced him to resign from office. He was known for his passion for horse-racing and gambling, and this had financially damaged him. It was revealed in August 1854 that to recoup his lost funds he had been using insider information gained from his position within the Exchequer to speculate on Funds
. After this came out he was forced to resign from his position as a Member of Parliament, and also as Gladstone's secretary. Ironically despite the information involved he failed to gain any amount of money; Lennox remarked that "Lawley's greatest sin was to lose on the funds, knowing what he did".
With his career in ruins he moved to the United States
in 1856, becoming a correspondent for The Times
covering the American Civil War
with the Confederate Army, and authored several books including The Bench and the Jockey Club and The Life and Times of the Druid, as well as contributing to magazines such as St Paul's Magazine. In 1865 he returned to London
and wrote for The Daily Telegraph
. He continued to have financial problems, beginning bankruptcy
proceedings in 1874 and 1881, and proceedings against his estate
continued after his death.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
He was the youngest son of Paul Thompson, 1st Baron Wenlock
Paul Thompson, 1st Baron Wenlock
Paul Beilby Lawley Thompson, 1st Baron Wenlock , born Paul Beilby Lawley, was an English nobleman and Whig politician, the youngest son of Sir Robert Lawley, 5th Baronet and Jane Thompson....
, and after schooling in Hatfield attended Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
in May 1837. In 1848 he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
with a second-class honours degree in Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
. He entered Inner Temple as a student in 1847, but failed to be called to the bar, instead gaining a BCL
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
. In 1852 he was elected as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Beverley
Beverley (UK Parliament constituency)
Beverley has been the name of a parliamentary constituency in the East Riding of Yorkshire for three separate periods. From medieval times until 1869, it was a parliamentary borough, consisting solely of the market town of Beverley, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons...
, and also became private secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
during his time as the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
in the same year.
In June 1854 he was considered for the position of Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of South Australia, but was swiftly discounted after a political scandal forced him to resign from office. He was known for his passion for horse-racing and gambling, and this had financially damaged him. It was revealed in August 1854 that to recoup his lost funds he had been using insider information gained from his position within the Exchequer to speculate on Funds
Collective investment scheme
A collective investment scheme is a way of investing money alongside other investors in order to benefit from the inherent advantages of working as part of a group...
. After this came out he was forced to resign from his position as a Member of Parliament, and also as Gladstone's secretary. Ironically despite the information involved he failed to gain any amount of money; Lennox remarked that "Lawley's greatest sin was to lose on the funds, knowing what he did".
With his career in ruins he moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1856, becoming a correspondent for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
covering the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
with the Confederate Army, and authored several books including The Bench and the Jockey Club and The Life and Times of the Druid, as well as contributing to magazines such as St Paul's Magazine. In 1865 he returned to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and wrote for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. He continued to have financial problems, beginning bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
proceedings in 1874 and 1881, and proceedings against his estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
continued after his death.