William Gladstone was one of the foremost statesmen and politicians of the Victorian period. In addition to a range of politic positions within both Conservative and Liberal governments, he held the offices of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister each four times, including holding both roles simultaneously in his second administration between 1880-82. He was a defining figure in Victorian Britain in political terms, but also made important contributions to theology, classics and literary culture more generally.
The fourth son of the prosperous Liverpool merchant Sir John Gladstone, William Ewart Gladstone was born on 29 December 1809 in the family home at 62 Rodney Street, Liverpool; despite these Lancashire roots the family were originally of Scottish descent. In 1816 Gladstone
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Citation: Llewellyn, Mark. "William Ewart Gladstone". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 February 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1763, accessed 22 November 2024.]
