Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley

The Right Honourable The Viscount Eversley GCB, PC
Lord Eversley in the 1860's.
Speaker of the House of Commons
In office 1839–1857
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	Hon. James Abercromby
Succeeded by	Sir Evelyn Denison
Personal details
Born	22 February 1794 (1794-02-22) London, England
Died	28 December 1888(1888-12-28) (aged 94)
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig
Spouse(s)	Emma Whitbread (d. 1857)
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley GCB, PC (22 February 1794 – 28 December 1888), was a British Whig politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1839 to 1857. He is the second-longest serving Speaker of the House of Commons, behind Arthur Onslow.

Background and education

Shaw-Lefevre was the son of Charles Shaw-Lefevre by his wife Helena, daughter of John Lefevre. His younger brother, Sir John Shaw-Lefevre, was a senior civil servant and one of the founders of the University of London, while his nephew, George, was a Liberal politician. He was educated at Winchester^[1] and Trinity College, Cambridge.^[1][2] In 1819 he was called to the Bar, Lincoln's Inn.^[1]

Political career

Shaw-Lefevre was the son-in-law of the sister of Lord Grey,^[1] the Whig Prime Minister, which advanced his career greatly.^{[citation needed]} A Whig, he was Member of Parliament for Downton from 1830 to 1831,^[1][3] for Hampshire from 1831 to 1832^[1][4] and for North Hampshire from 1832 to 1857.^[1][4] During the 1830s he was chairman of a committee on petitions for private bills and of a committee on agricultural distress. His report from the latter position was not accepted by the House of Commons but was published as a pamphlet addressed to his constituents. He acquired, says the Encyclopædia Britannica, "a high reputation in the House of Commons for his judicial fairness, combined with singular tact and courtesy." When James Abercromby retired as Speaker of the House of Commons in 1839, Shaw-Lefevre was put forward as the Whig candidate and defeated the Tory candidate Henry Goulburn by 317 votes to 299.^[5] He was sworn of the Privy Council at the same time.^[6]

Shaw-Lefevre remained speaker until 1857, by which time he was second-longest-serving speaker ever, after Arthur Onslow, who held the post for more than 33 years.^[5] On his retirement in 1857 he was when he was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Eversley, of Heckfield in the County of Southampton.^[7] He attended the House of Lords infrequently, with his last recorded speech in July 1873.^[8] In 1857 he was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight, which he remained until 1888.^[1] He was also an ecclesiastical commissioner and a trustee of the British Museum.^[5] In 1885 he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB).^[9]

Family

Lord Eversley by John Partridge.

Lord Eversley married Emma Laura (d. 1857), daughter of Samuel Whitbread and Lady Elizabeth Grey, in 1817. They had three sons, who all died in infancy, and two daughters. The family lived at Heckfield Place in Hampshire, which was previously the seat of his maternal grandfather. Lady Eversley died in June 1857. Lord Eversley survived her by over thirty years and died in December 1888, aged 94. As he had no surviving sons, the title became extinct on his death. The Eversley title was revived in 1906 in favour of his nephew, George Shaw-Lefevre.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} thepeerage.com Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st and last Viscount Eversley of Heckfield
2. ^ Shaw-Lefevre, Charles in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
3. ^ leighrayment.com House of Commons: Dover to Dulwich and West Norwood
4. ^ ^{a b} leighrayment.com House of Commons: Hackney to Harwich
5. ^ ^{a b c} 1911encyclopedia.org Charles Shaw Lefevre, Viscount Eversley
6. ^ London Gazette: no. 19739. p. 1113. 4 June 1939.
7. ^ London Gazette: no. 21981. p. 1103. 24 March 1857.
8. ^ Hansard 1803–2005: shaw-lefevre contributions in Parliament by Charles Shaw-Lefevre
9. ^ London Gazette: no. 25486. p. 3060. 3 July 1885.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Charles Shaw-Lefevre
• Archival material relating to Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley listed at the UK National Register of Archives
• Works by or about Charles Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Viscount Eversley in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Bartholomew Bouverie Alexander Powell	Member of Parliament for Downton 1830–1831 With: James Brougham	Succeeded by James Brougham Thomas Creevey
Preceded by John Willis Fleming Sir Thomas Baring, Bt	Member of Parliament for Hampshire 1831–1832 With: Sir James Macdonald, Bt 1831–1832 Sir William Heathcote, Bt 1832	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Hampshire North 1832–1857 With: James Winter Scott 1832–1857 Sir William Heathcote, Bt 1837–1849 Melville Portal 1849–1857	Succeeded by William Withey Bramston Beach George Sclater-Booth
Political offices
Preceded by Hon. James Abercromby	Speaker of the House of Commons 1839–1857	Succeeded by Sir Evelyn Denison
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Lord Heytesbury	Governor of the Isle of Wight 1857–1888	Succeeded by Prince Henry of Battenberg
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Viscount Eversley 1857–1888	Extinct

Persondata
Name	Shaw-Lefevre, Charles 1st Viscount Eversley
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	22 February 1794
Place of birth	London
Date of death	28 December 1888
Place of death