George Tierney
The Viscount Goderich | |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hon. William Wellesley-Pole |
| Succeeded by | John Charles Herries |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 March 1761 Whig |
| Alma mater | Peterhouse, Cambridge |
George Tierney
Background and education
Born in
Political career
Early career
Tierney contested Colchester in 1788, when both candidates received the same number of votes, but Tierney was declared elected. He was, however, defeated in the 1790 general election.[2]
He returned to Parliament in 1796 for Southwark and sat for that seat until 1806, and then represented in turn Athlone (1806–1807), Bandon (1807–1812), Appleby (1812–1818), and Knaresborough (1818–1830).[2] During his early years in Parliament he was known for his radical views and was a supporter of Charles James Fox. The French Revolution of 1789 was a polarising force in British Whig politics with some supporting the revolution, and others such as Edmund Burke strongly opposed to it. Because of his radical views, Tierney was often portrayed in caricatures in the costume of a French revolutionary.
Duel
When
Office
In 1803, Tierney, partly because peace had been ratified with France at
Opposition
About a year after the death of George Ponsonby in 1817, Tierney reluctantly became the recognised leader of the opposition in the House of Commons. At first he was successful, with Whig gains being made at the 1818 general election. On 18 May 1819, Tierney moved a motion in the House of Commons for a committee on the state of the nation. This motion was defeated by 357 to 178, which was a division involving the largest number of MPs until the debates over the Reform bill in the early 1830s. Foord comments that "this defeat put an effective end to Tierney's leadership... Tierney did not disclaim the leadership until 23 Jan. 1821 ..., but he had ceased to exercise its functions since the great defeat".
Final years
In
References
- ^ a b "Tierney, George (TNY778G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ a b c d e f Chisholm 1911.
- ^ Burke, Edmund (1845). "Appendix to Chronicle - Deaths - March". The Annual Register, or a View of the History and Politics of the Year 1844. 86: 225.
- ^ Hamilton 1898.
Attribution:
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Tierney, George". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 964.
- Hamilton, John Andrew (1898). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 56. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 385-386.
Sources
- Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland 1801–1922, edited by B. M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978).
- His Majesty's Opposition 1714–1830, by Archibald S. Foord (Oxford University Press 1964)
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by George Tierney
- "Archival material relating to George Tierney". UK National Archives.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |