Lord John Russell

Born in 1792 and died in 1878. He was the third son of the Duke of Bedford and served as the British Prime Minister for the Whigs/Liberals on two separate occasions. His first ministry was between the years of 1846 and 1852, in which time he oversaw the passing of the first Public Health Act of 1848 and the Public Libraries Act of 1850. His second ministry was much shorter, between the years of 1865 and 1866 and was brought about by the death of Lord Palmerston. This ministry was comparatively uneventful compared to his first, with the Morant Bay mutiny in Jamaica the only real point of excitement. His time as Prime Minister was ended by the Adullamites' revolt over the Third reform Act, which propossed the extension of the franchise to the artisans.

Other achievements of note include his steering of the Great Reform Act of 1832 through the House of Commons as the Prime Minister of at the time (Earl Grey) had been sitting in the House of Lords.

sources: 'The Extension of the franchise 1832 to 1931' by Bob Whitfiled, 'The Challenge of Democracy' by Hugh Cunningham and too many history lessons.

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Russell, John, Earl Russell, K.G., an English statesman, third son of the 6th Duke of Bedford; born in London, Aug. 18, 1792. Educated at Edinburgh University, he entered Parliament in 1813 before attaining his majority. In 1819 he made his first motion in favor of parliamentary reform, of which through life he was the champion. In 1831 he was paymaster-general in Lord Grey's administration, and introduced the first Reform Bill to the House of Commons. From 1841 to 1845 he led the opposition against Peel, with whom, however, he was in sympathy on the Corn Law question; and when Peel resigned in 1846 Russell formed a ministry and retained power till February, 1852. In 1859 he became foreign secretary, the Trent affair with the United States occuring while he was in office. In 1861 he was raised to the peerage, and in 1865 succeeded Lord Palmerston in the leadership of the Liberal party; but when his new reform bill was rejected in 1866 he went out of office. He was the author of numerous books and pamphlets, including lives of Thomas Moore, Lord William Russell, and Charles Fox, and "Recollections and Suggestions" (1813-1873), published in 1875. He died May 28, 1878.

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Entry from Everybody's Cyclopedia, 1912.