Gimson Prime Ministers: Robert Peel

Lived 1788 – 1850

Prime minister 1834 – 1835 and 1841-1846

Robert Peel has long lasting notoriety for an achievement from before he, became prime minister; as Home Secretary in 1820s his reforms led to the creation of metropolitan police. Many people in England perhaps unknowingly refer to police 👮‍♀️ as bobbies which, is a derivation of Robert. In Victorian times police were also called Peelers after Robert Peel.

Peel became prime minister in 1834. It was short lived as in 1835 election, he failed to win sufficient seats to have control of the commons; therefore Melbourne returned as prime minister.

Due to Queen Victoria’s influence, Peel returned as prime minister in 1841. In 1845 Ireland’s potato crop failed. Peel wanted to resolve issue byabolishing Corn Laws which, kept the price of corn artificially high. Many of his cabinet of ministers disagreed as regards repealing Corn Laws; he was able to abolish with support from the opposition. As 2/3 of his party had voted against him, as regards abolishing Corn Laws, this led to him resigning in 1846.

In 1850, he fell from a horse and died a few days later.