Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet

The Right Honourable Sir James Graham, Bt GCB, PC
Home Secretary
In office 6 September 1841 – 30 June 1846
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Sir Robert Peel, Bt
Preceded by	The Marquess of Normanby
Succeeded by	Sir George Grey, Bt
First Lord of the Admiralty
In office 22 November 1830 – 7 June 1834
Monarch	William IV
Prime Minister	The Earl Grey
Preceded by	The Viscount Melville
Succeeded by	The Lord Auckland
In office 30 December 1852 – 13 March 1855
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Aberdeen The Viscount Palmerston
Preceded by	The Duke of Northumberland
Succeeded by	Sir Charles Wood, Bt
Personal details
Born	1 June 1792 (2012-01-20T20:20:16) Naworth, Cumberland
Died	25 October 1861 (2012-01-20T20:20:17) Netherby, Cumberland
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig Tory
Spouse(s)	Frances Callander (d. 1857)
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Sir James Robert George Graham, 2nd Baronet GCB PC (1 June 1792 – 25 October 1861) was a British statesman. He notably held office as Home Secretary from 1841 to 1846 in Sir Robert Peel's last government. Graham Land in Antarctica is named after him.

Background and education

Graham was born at Naworth, Cumberland, the son of Sir James Graham, 1st Baronet, by his wife Lady Catherine, daughter of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford.

Whig years, 1818-1837

In 1818 he was elected to parliament as a Whig member for Hull, but he lost his seat in 1820. In 1824 he succeeded to the baronetcy; and in 1826 he re-entered parliament as representative for Carlisle, a seat which he soon exchanged for the county of Cumberland. In the same year he published a pamphlet entitled Corn and Currency, which brought him into prominence as a man of advanced Liberal opinions; and he became one of the most energetic advocates in parliament of the Reform Bill. On the formation of Earl Grey's administration he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, with a seat in the cabinet 1830-34. From 1832 to 1837 he sat for the eastern division of the county of Cumberland. He resigned over the Irish Church question in 1834, becoming a prominent member of the Derby Dilly and eventually joined the Conservatives in 1837.

Tory years, 1837-1861

Rejected by his former constituents in 1837, he was in 1838 elected for Pembroke, and in 1841 for Dorchester. In the latter year he took office under Sir Robert Peel as Home Secretary, a post he retained until 1846. As home secretary he incurred considerable odium in Scotland, by his unconciliating policy on the church question prior to the disruption of 1843; and in 1844 the detention and opening of letters at the post-office by his warrant raised a storm of public indignation, which was hardly allayed by the favourable report of a parliamentary committee of investigation. When the party broke up over the Corn Laws he followed Peel. He was returned for Ripon, a seat he held until 1852, and then again represented Carlisle between 1852 and 1859. From 1846 to 1852 he was out of office; but in the latter year he joined Lord Aberdeen's cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty, in which capacity he acted also for a short time in the Palmerston ministry of 1855 (1853–55). The appointment of a select committee of inquiry into the conduct of the Crimean War ultimately led to his withdrawal from official life.

He remained a leading figure in the Peelite faction in the House of Commons, and played an instrumental role in bringing the Peelites into the Palmerston-Russell government of 1859, and can thus be seen as one of the fathers of the modern Liberal Party, although he himself refused to take a position in the government.

Family

Graham married Frances ("Fanny") Callander, of Craigforth and Ardkinglas, a famous society beauty, on 8 July 1819. She died in October 1857. Graham died at Netherby, Cumberland, on the 25 October 1861, aged 69, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son, Frederick.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sir James Graham

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Staniforth George Denys	Member of Parliament for Hull 1818–1820 With: John Mitchell	Succeeded by John Mitchell Daniel Sykes
Preceded by Sir Walter Stirling, Bt Samuel Stephens	Member of Parliament for St Ives 1820–1821 With: Lyndon Evelyn	Succeeded by Lyndon Evelyn Sir Christopher Hawkins, Bt
Preceded by William James Sir Philip Musgrave, Bt	Member of Parliament for Carlisle 1826–1829 With: Sir Philip Musgrave, Bt 1826–1827 James Law Lushington 1827–1829	Succeeded by James Law Lushington Sir William Scott, Bt
Preceded by Sir John Lowther, Bt John Cristian Curwen	Member of Parliament for Cumberland 1829–1832 With: Sir John Lowther, Bt 1829–1831 William Blamire 1831–1832	constituency divided
New constituency	Member of Parliament for East Cumberland 1832–1837 With: William Blamire 1832–1836 William James 1836–1837	Succeeded by William James Francis Aglionby
Preceded by Hugh Owen Owen	Member of Parliament for Pembroke 1838–1841	Succeeded by Sir John Owen, Bt
Preceded by Henry Ashley-Cooper Robert Williams	Member of Parliament for Dorchester 1841–1847 With: Henry Ashley-Cooper	Succeeded by George Lionel Dawson-Damer Henry Sturt
Preceded by Sir George Cockburn Edwin Lascelles	Member of Parliament for Ripon 1847–1852 With: Edwin Lascelles	Succeeded by Edwin Lascelles William Beckett
Preceded by William Nicholson Hodgson Philip Henry Howard	Member of Parliament for Carlisle 1852–1861 With: Joseph Ferguson 1852–1857 William Nicholson Hodgson 1857–1859 Wilfrid Lawson 1859–1861	Succeeded by Edmund Potter Wilfrid Lawson
Political offices
Preceded by The Viscount Melville	First Lord of the Admiralty 1830–1834	Succeeded by The Lord Auckland
Preceded by The Marquess of Normanby	Home Secretary 1841–1846	Succeeded by Sir George Grey, Bt
Preceded by The Duke of Northumberland	First Lord of the Admiralty 1852–1855	Succeeded by Sir Charles Wood, Bt
Academic offices
Preceded by Robert Peel	Rector of the University of Glasgow 1838—1840	Succeeded by Marquess of Breadalbane
Baronetage of Great Britain
Preceded by James Graham	Baronet (of Netherby) 1824–1861	Succeeded by Frederick Graham