Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool

Lore & Background

Robert Jenkinson was born on 7 June 1770, the son of Tory politician Charles Jenkinson and his first wife, Amelia Watts. His mother died one month after his birth. He was educated at Charterhouse School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he formed a lifelong friendship with George Canning. He entered Parliament in 1790 for Rye, making his maiden speech in 1792. He married Lady Louisa Hervey in 1795. Known as Lord Hawkesbury from 1803 to 1808, he became foreign secretary in 1801, negotiating the Treaty of Amiens, and later served as home secretary and secretary of state for war and the colonies.

Reader's Guide

Liverpool's premiership from 1812 to 1827 was marked by guiding Britain to victory in the Napoleonic Wars, including the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, and the Congress of Vienna. Domestically, his early years saw repressive measures to restore order, the introduction of the Corn Laws, and the repeal of income tax. The period also included the Peterloo massacre, the Cato Street Conspiracy, and the Queen Caroline affair. In the 1820s, his leadership became more liberal, leading to reform of criminal law and prisons. He sought compromise on Catholic emancipation. He resigned after a stroke in February 1827. His legacy is that of a long-serving prime minister who balanced wartime victory with managing postwar social and political tensions.

Did You Know?

• He was known as Jenkinson until 1803 and as Hawkesbury from 1803 to 1808.
• He was descended from Portuguese settlers in India through his mother's maternal grandmother.
• He witnessed the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 while spending a summer in Paris.
• He was twice married but had no children; the earldom passed to his younger half-brother.