Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet

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Sir James Robert George Graham, 2nd Baronet (1 June 1792–25 October 1861) was a British statesman. Graham Land in Antarctica is named after him.

[edit] Early life

He was born at Naworth, Cumberland, and was educated at Westminster School and Oxford University. 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 received the post of First Lord of the Admiralty, with a seat in the cabinet. From 1832 to 1837 he sat for the eastern division of the county of Cumberland. He resigned over the Irish Church question in 1834, and eventually joined the Conservatives in 1837. Sir James married on 8th July 1819, a famous society beauty Frances (Fanny) Callander of Craigforth and Ardkinglas. Their descendants are still Baronets of Netherby.

[edit] Tory years

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 favorable report of a parliamentary committee of investigation. When the party broke up over the Corn Laws he followed Peel. 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. The appointment of a select committee of inquiry into the conduct of the Crimean War ultimately led to his withdrawal from official life. He died at Netherby, Cumberland, on the 25 October 1861.

[edit] References

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
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Staniforth George Denys	Member of Parliament for Hull with John Mitchell 1818–1820	Succeeded by John Mitchell Daniel Sykes
Preceded by Sir Walter Stirling, Bt Samuel Stephens	Member of Parliament for St Ives with Lyndon Evelyn 1820–1821	Succeeded by Lyndon Evelyn Sir Christopher Hawkins, Bt
Preceded by William James Sir Philip Musgrave, Bt	Member of Parliament for Carlisle with Sir Philip Musgrave, Bt 1826–1827 James Law Lushington 1827–1829 1826–1829	Succeeded by James Law Lushington Sir William Scott, Bt
Preceded by Sir John Lowther, Bt John Cristian Curwen	Member of Parliament for Cumberland with Sir John Lowther, Bt 1829–1831 William Blamire 1831–1832 1829–1832	Succeeded by Constituency divided
Preceded by Constituency created	Member of Parliament for East Cumberland with William Blamire 1832–1836 William James 1836–1837 1832–1837	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 with Henry Ashley-Cooper 1841–1847	Succeeded by George Lionel Dawson-Damer Henry Sturt
Preceded by Sir George Cockburn Edwin Lascelles	Member of Parliament for Ripon with Edwin Lascelles 1847–1852	Succeeded by Edwin Lascelles William Beckett
Preceded by William Nicholson Hodgson Philip Henry Howard	Member of Parliament for Carlisle with Joseph Ferguson 1852–1857 William Nicholson Hodgson 1857–1859 Wilfrid Lawson 1859–1861 1852–1861	Succeeded by Edmund Potter Wilfrid Lawson
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

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.