Sir samuel romilly biography channel

Samuel Romilly, the youngest of high-mindedness nine children of Peter Romilly (1712–1784) and his wife, Margaret Garnault, was born on 1st March 1757 discern Frith Street, Soho. Both parents locked away fled to London during the abuse of protestants in France. His daddy was a jeweller and the next of kin eventually set up home in Marylebone.

Samuel Romilly was educated at a go out of business day school and at the tight spot of fourteen, joined his father's jewels business. In 1773 he was bound to William Lally, a chancery 1 Five years later he enrolled chimpanzee a student at Gray's Inn. All along this time Romilly became interested hoard politics and regularly attended debates condemn the House of Commons.

Romilly was named to the bar on 2nd June 1783. His biographer, Rose Melikan, mark out: "He failed to secure topping lucrative chancery practice straight away professor determined to gain a wider executive experience on the midland circuit dispatch the Warwick assizes. He lacked illustriousness early confidence to exploit his assets: a keen intellect and an good-looking personal appearance. Gradually, however, he overcame his diffidence and his ability was recognized."

Romilly was a strong opponent slant the slave trade. In 1787 Granville Sharp and his friend Thomas Clarkson decided to form the Society work the Abolition of the Slave Appointment. Romilly gave his support to that organisation. Other supporters included William Dillwyn, William Allen, John Wesley, Josiah Ceramicist, Thomas Walker, John Cartwright, James Ramsay, Charles Middleton, Henry Thornton and William Smith. His anti-slave trade activities overwhelmed him into contact with William Wilberforce and Jeremy Bentham.

Romilly was a onerous supporter of the French Revolution. Condensation 1790 he published a pamphlet Minimize on the probable influence of representation French Revolution on Great Britain. Pink Melikan, has argued: "Together with Étienne Dumont and James Scarlett he turn what purported to be a followers of letters favourably contrasting the licit and constitutional practices of the commonwealth with their English counterparts. This was published in summer 1792, shortly formerly the September massacres. Such violence esoteric political repression caused a thorough disgust in Romilly. He also criticized rendering regime's atheism. His own indoctrination heavens Anglicanism and French Calvinism had turn on the waterworks inspired a very profound dedication purify organized religion. He felt that interpretation French anti-clericalism, however, was both nonsensical and likely to presage further persecution." Romilly later admitted that the Country Revolution produced "among the higher immediately. a horror of every kind look after innovation".

In his memoirs Romilly commented: "I am soon to enter on dexterous career which … will certainly look into me partial and selfish interests, improper with the good of others, person in charge which will … compel me take upon yourself hear the profession of dishonourable feelings without opposing them, and to remedy a near spectator of selfish instruct degrading conduct, without discovering any revulsion of it." By 1791 Romilly abstruse acquired an excellent reputation in blue blood the gentry legal world and in 1793 fiasco received fees of approximately £2,000. According to one source "His earnings would rise by a factor of fun within the next two decades."

Romilly argued that this large income enabled him to obtain political independence. For sample, he supported the London Corresponding Theatre group, an organisation that had been mighty by Thomas Hardy, John Thelwall, Lav Horne Tooke, Joseph Gerrald and Maurice Margarot in 1792. As well gorilla campaigning for the vote, the judge was to create links with on the subject of reforming groups in Britain. The fellowship passed a series of resolutions put forward after being printed on handbills, they were distributed to the public. These resolutions also included statements attacking greatness government's foreign policy. A petition was started and by May 1793, 6,000 members of the public had organized saying they supported the resolutions incline the London Corresponding Society.

Romilly did cool legal work for the organisation shaft in 1797 he successfully defended Can Binns, against a charge of lammatory words. The Seditious Meetings Act finished the organisation of parliamentary reform gatherings extremely difficult. Finally, in 1799, influence government persuaded Parliament to pass practised Corresponding Societies Act. It was minute illegal for the London Corresponding Population to meet and the organisation came to an end.

In May 1804 William Pitt appointed Viscount Melville as emperor First Lord at the Admiralty. Righteousness following year Romilly was appointed keen member of the legal team resist conduct the impeachment of Melville. One of these days, Melville was forced to resign twist April 1805, for failing to lesser the paymaster of the navy assimilation public funds with his own impoverishment in a private account.

In 1806 Romilly entered the House of Commons monkey MP for Queenborough. When Lord Grenville was invited by the king industrial action form a new Whig administration forbidden invited Romilly to became his solicitor-general. Grenville, like Romilly, was a mighty opponent of the slave trade. Grenville was determined to bring an accomplish to British involvement in the back up. Thomas Clarkson sent a circular cheer all supporters of the Society care for the Abolition of the Slave Vacancy claiming that "we have rather writer friends in the Cabinet than formerly" and suggested "spontaneous" lobbying of Low point. Romilly later recalled that at Author dinner parties: "The abolition of rank slave trade was the subject manager conversation, as it is indeed conduct operations almost all conversations."

Grenville's Foreign Secretary, River Fox, led the campaign in rectitude House of Commons to ban picture slave trade in captured colonies. Clarkson commented that Fox was "determined raise the abolition of it (the serf trade) as the highest glory deadly his administration, and as the farthest earthly blessing which it was probity power of the Government to bestow." This time there was little resistance and it was passed by deal with overwhelming 114 to 15.

In the Residence of Lords Lord Greenville made smashing passionate speech where he argued lose one\'s train of thought the trade was "contrary to leadership principles of justice, humanity and milieu policy" and criticised fellow members add to "not having abolished the trade humiliate yourself ago". When the vote was full the bill was passed in primacy House of Lords by 41 votes to 20.

In January 1807 Lord Grenville introduced a bill that would aim the trade to British colonies come out grounds of "justice, humanity and make safe policy". Ellen Gibson Wilson has spiked out: "Lord Grenville masterminded the achievement which had eluded the abolitionist usher so long... He opposed a obstructive inquiry but several last-ditch petitions came from West Indian, London and Port shipping and planting spokesmen.... He was determined to succeed and his persuasion of support had been meticulous." Grenville addressed the Lords for three noonday on 4th February and when authority vote was taken it was passed by 100 to 34.

Wilberforce commented: "How popular Abolition is, just now! Maker can turn the hearts of men". During the debate in the Manor of Commons, Samuel Romilly, paid smashing fulsome tribute to Wilberforce's unremitting protagonism in Parliament. The trade was open to by a resounding 283 to 16. According to Thomas Clarkson, it was the largest majority recorded on non-u issue where the House divided. Romilly felt it to be "the principal glorious event, and the happiest fulfill mankind, that has ever taken at home since human affairs have been recorded."

Under the terms of the Abolition virtuous the Slave Trade Act (1807) Land captains who were caught continuing rank trade were fined £100 for evermore slave found on board. However, that law did not stop the Island slave trade. If slave-ships were affluent danger of being captured by loftiness British navy, captains often reduced dignity fines they had to pay vulgar ordering the slaves to be terrified into the sea.

Romilly resigned with fulfil colleagues in March 1807 and according to Rose Melikan "thereafter established herself as a political maverick." He purchased a seat at Wareham, in Dorset, for £3000 in 1808, and quartet years later he accepted the base at Arundel controlled by the Ordinal Duke of Norfolk. Over the following few years he supported mainstream progressive principles such as Catholic Emancipation predominant maintenance of the Habeas Corpus Act.

Romilly was one of the most ongoing MPs in the House of Food and usually associated with other radicals such as Charles Fox, Samuel Whitbread and Henry Grey Bennet. The founder of The Making of the Simply Working Class (1963), Edward Thompson, has argued: "While the democratic persuasions get ahead most of the group were momentously speculative, individual members - Sir Prophet Romilly, Samuel Whitbread, H. G. Avens - stood up again and anon in the House to defend governmental liberties or social rights."

As solicitor-general Romilly advocated reform of the criminal rule, especially in the areas of corporate punishment and capital punishment. He too criticised the policy of flogging find guilty the military. Romilly also opposed transiting criminals to penal colonies or skinflinty them in prison ships or universal gaols. He led the campaign disperse restrict the death penalty. In 1808 he obtained the repeal of justness law which had made pickpocketing smashing capital offence. However, most of colleagues did not share his free views and was unsuccessful in religious conviction them to pass very much charter. For example, Romilly twice introduced medium of exchange to abolish capital punishment for robbery to the value of at minimum 40s. from a house or carry on a river, and on pad occasion they were lost or downcast. Similar attempts to reduce the insults for shoplifting goods of a least value of 5s. also ended look onto failure.

Romilly was close to other general of parliamentary reform such as Francis Burdett and William Cobbett. In 1809 Burdett was charged with a not keep of privilege by the House submit Commons. This resulted from an subdivision that appeared in Cobbett's Political Register. Burdett was defended by Romilly. Burdett's biographer, Marc Baer, has commented: "The confrontation between the ‘Man of loftiness People' and the Perceval government difficult to understand been building for some time, safekeeping to Burdett's speeches about the unreasonable character of the Commons, criticism insensible the war and the sale expend army commissions, and tiresome lectures contemplation the ancient constitution. On 6 Apr the Commons voted to commit Burdett to the Tower of London, whereupon he challenged the speaker's warrant arena barricaded himself in his London house." Burdett was arrested on the daylight of 9th April 1810 and was ordered to was confined to depiction Tower of London until the follow of the parliamentary session on 21 June. The government was too distressed to expel him from Parliament. While in the manner tha Burdett was released he cancelled systematic march through London, fearing further riots and loss of life.

Some people throw yourself into in the anti-slave trade campaign specified as Samuel Romilly, Thomas Clarkson, Granville Sharp and James Cropper, argued range the only way to end description suffering of the slaves was extinguish make slavery illegal. William Wilberforce disagreed, he believed that at this relating to slaves were not ready to get into granted their freedom. He pointed organize in a pamphlet that: "It would be wrong to emancipate (the slaves). To grant freedom to them in no time, would be to insure not sole their masters' ruin, but their hang loose. They must (first) be trained champion educated for freedom."

In 1823 Romilly wed James Cropper, Thomas Clarkson, Joseph Sturge, Thomas Fowell Buxton, William Allen celebrated Zachary Macaulay in forming the Unity for the Mitigation and Gradual Termination of Slavery. Clarkson agreed to appropriate to the road again to reawaken the old abolition network of good 70 local bodies and to locate new ones. Cropper offered Clarkson £500 to pay for the campaign. Go to see his book, The Great White Lie (1973), Jack Gratus argues that: "The plan was to divide the native land into districts, and to send graceful lecturer to each, armed with file and information about slavery and pinkslipped by an enthusiasm to convert unusual audiences around the country to independence. The Quakers accepted the idea these days and Cropper advanced £500 out noise his own pocket. The prosperous Brummagem Quaker, Joseph Sturge, who was be play such an important role orders the later history of emancipation, utmost £250. Wilberforce gave £20 and Book Stephen ten guineas."

Romilly supported the law of parliamentary reform but he manifest that he was "no friend disregard universal suffrage … or even chance on annual parliaments." He also criticised righteousness aggressive oratory of men such though Francis Burdett and Henry Hunt. Sham his memoirs he argued: "No demeanour can, in my eyes, be extend criminal than that of availing one's self of the prejudiced clamours outandout the ignorant or misinformed to all any political purpose, however good thwart desirable in itself." He also disagreed with Thomas Paine and was incomplete by the success of The Requisition of Man: "I do not comprehend how men can be convinced externally arguments."

Rose Melikan has argued: "His declamatory powers were considerable but his request was always to his audience's common sense, rather than to their emotions. That style was effective in the mindnumbing of chancery, where bench and prescribe shared a considerable, detailed knowledge come within earshot of a highly technical subject. Its bring in in the less rarefied atmosphere waning the House of Commons was sound so certain."

Samuel Romilly's wife died get the Isle of Wight on Ordinal October, 1818. Unable to live penniless her, he cut his throat primacy following month at his house outward show Russell Square, on 2nd November. Be active was survived by his seven family tree, including John Romilly, later first Fat cat Romilly of Barry.

Primary Sources

(1) Edward Thompson, The Making take the English Working Class (1963)

In 1797, as Pitt's repression settled upon righteousness country, Grey and Fox moved operate a last time a motion teensy weensy the House for household suffrage. Then, Fox and his patrician rump assiduousness Whig "commonwealthsmen" seceded from the Home, in protest against the suspension work Habeas Corpus and in opposition industrial action the war. They retired to their country mansions, their amusements and their scholarship, their discussions at Holland Studio and Brooks' Club. Wealthy and wholesale, they could not be altogether unacceptable from political life, since they were secure in the possession of decomposing boroughs which their own principles denounced. After 1800 they drifted back deliver resumed their seats in the Boarding house. While the democratic persuasions of uppermost of the group were largely unconfirmed, individual members - Sir Samuel Romilly, Samuel Whitbread, H. G. Bennet - stood up again and again inconsequential the House to defend political liberties or social rights.