‘RADICAL JACK’
a.k..a. John George Lambton, First Earl of Durham.
by
Joan Teasdale
John George Lambton was born in 1792, at Berkley Square, -
his father William was a wealthy land and coal mine owner. He
was the Whig M.P. for Durham City, and being a radical, was also
active in the ‘Society of Friends of the People’. William Lambton died
when his son ‘Jack’ was five years old, and his mother subsequently
re-married. ‘Jack’ was sent to live with, and be educated by a radical
family friend, Doctor Beddoes, a scientist, who was an excellent tutor. He
taught ‘Jack’ a wide curriculum, including the art of clear speech,
and the skill of economy of words in both writing, and speech. At
the age of thirteen ‘Jack’ was sent to Eton school, but did not fit in
with the school’s Tory ethos, and philosophy, and was only noted for
his debating skill on popular principles of government. After
Eton, and declining University, he had a short military career.
In 1812, he, and Lady Harriet Cholmondly, eloped to Gretna
to be married, and subsequently had three daughters?’ Harriet died
in 1815, and in 1816, ‘Jack’ re-married Lady Louisa, the
daughter of the Second Earl Grey. They had two sons, and three daughters.
Earl Grey had been a friend of ‘Jack”s father, and Jack respected
and loved Grey. At the age of twenty-one ‘Jack’ inherited the family
Estate, and was also elected as the Whig M.P. for Durham County,
representing them from 1812 to 1828. As the M.P. he was important in
influencing the Social, and Economic life of the county. Miners in these
times had dismally hard lives, being poorly paid, bonded, - suffering
dangerous working conditions, and frequent disasters. ‘Jack became
Vice President of the Society for the Prevention of Accidents,
and invited Humphrey Davy to visit his collieries, who consequently
tested his Safety Lamp in one of his pits. After the repeal of the
‘Combination Act’ of 1825, trade unions were formed, and strikes began.
Despite threats, Jack’s miners continued to work, which was
mainly due to the qualities of Jack’s agent, Henry Morton, and Jack’s
abilities to maintain good working relationships with the miners? Both
men established the Lambton Colliery Association which was
mainly financed by Jack, and provided accident insurance, a pension scheme, schools for miner’s children, and libraries for the
elderly. Jack, who was a good employer, paid close attention to wages
and working conditions, and provided new machinery, and drainage
of the pits‘? He also funded the Chester-le-Street branch of the
Mechanics Institute. In contrast to this benevolence, Jack never
restricted his own personal comfort and wealth, spending ninety thousand pounds
to complete Lambton Castle.
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| Lampton Castle |
He was a committed radical Whig, as shown by his maiden parliamentary speech in the House of Commons slating Lord Liverpool’s government for sanctioning the annexation of
Norway by Sweden. Other parliamentary speeches by Jack denounced the barbarism of the Yeomenry‘ at the Peterloo Massacre, and
speaking out about the Government’s Six Acts, which forbade public
meetings, and seditious publications.
He then gave notice for radical parliamentary reform, but, by that time George III had died,
causing Parliament to be dissolved. Jack was now considered as a
dangerous revolutionary, and was opposed in Durham by the Tory Chief
Whip. However, - Jack won.
Despite his autocratic streak Jack held democratic views,
advocating equal electoral districts, household suffrage, and triennial
parliament terms. In 1821 he made his first great speech in the House of Commons trying to introduce a Reform Bill, - but this was
defeated? Although Jack did not advocate Universal Suffrage, he
promoted the interests of the upper and middle classes, since he
understood their important role in the Industrial Revolution, - being himself
an aristocrat, without a title. He became a Baron in 1829, to
which he expressed loud disappointment, since he longed for the
peerage his grandfather had declined.
In 1830, Earl Grey, the Prime Minister asked Jack to prepare
a Reform Bill, and awarded him Lord Privy Seal to allow him to
complete the task. Jack chaired the committee of four, comprising
Russell, Graham, and Duncarron. The group met secretly every day at
Jack’s home in Cleveland Row, with Jack, as Chief Author providing
the overall inspiration. The only research document used was the
current population in the 1821 Census, provided by Jack. With
Russell completing the detailed task, the first draft was completed
in two months, and did not differ much from Jack’s 1821 original
suggestion. Jack had made concessions in agreeing to a five year Parliament,
but was passionately insistent in the secret ballot. When
Russell, as chosen by Jack, submitted the Draft to Cabinet, Jack was
unable to attend due to his great distress over both his son’s
incurable illness, and his personal health problems. Although the abolishing of
the Rotten Boroughs, and the granting of household suffrage were accepted, the secret ballot proposal was thrown out. The
third draft was passed, but Jack felt betrayed, and resigned, -
officially due to ill health. The truth appears to be that he was at odds with
Grey on many policy issues. Grey saw moderate reform as necessary
for his class to maintain control, which may explain his refusal to end
open elections. However, he did use his political skills to secure
it.
Jack was a man of bright vision, having possessed good
radical principles, which some thought would eventually make him
Prime Minister, but as a colleague he could be intolerable, and
probably too radical in his actions and thoughts. After his resignation
in 1833, he became Earl of Durham, and since his colleagues wanted him out of the
way, he was sent as ambassador to St. Petersburg. After this period, he was
appointed Governor of British North America, to resolve issues in Upper and
Lower Canada, where he recommended that the provinces be united under one
Parliament. This was the ‘Durham Report’, and was later accepted. The Canadian
Act of Union was passed after Jack’s death.
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| Master Lambton: Lambton's eldest son (until his death, aged 13) Charles William, painted by Thomas Lawrence and later known as The Red Boy. |
Jack, throughout his life,
experienced many personal tragedies. His father, first wife, and four of his
children, - had died of tuberculosis. He, also suffered from tuberculosis
related illness, the whole of his life, and subsequently died in 1840. His
funeral, in Chester-le-Street parish church, was attended by 50,000 mourners,
including lines of miners, who felt great affection, and loyalty towards him.
It was they who had nicknamed him ‘Radical Jack’ because of his democratic views.
He had also been popular in Glasgow, where he had addressed a crowd of 100,000,
on Glasgow Green. He was also given the Freedom of the City.
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| Penshaw Monument |
Penshaw monument, often wrongly believed to be a ‘folly’, is
a memorial to Jack, which was paid for by public subscription, with ten thousand
people there to watch the laying of the foundation stone.
Although Jack remains historically important in Canada, it
is to the shame of British History, that Jack, the great advocate of early Parliamentary
Reform, now remains largely forgotten
References
1 John Lambton First Earl of Durham. ‘Wikipedia’ free Encyclopaedia.
2 John George Lambton Quebec History Marienopolis Biography
—Lambton John George, First Earl of Durham, 1988-2013 University of Toronto /
University Laval.
3 John Lambton. First Earl of Durham, Britannia Concise Encyclopaedia.
4 Washington History - England, North East, An Encyclopaedia
of North East England. Richard Holmes. 2009.
5 ‘Those Lambtons’ - A most unusual family — Sir John
Colville.
6 Lord Grey 1764 — 1845. E.A. Smith. Reform — The fight for
the 1832 Reform Act. Edward Pierce. 2003.
7 Durham Biographies Vol. 3 Edited by G.P. Bathe. Durham County
Local History Society 2003.
