Peel, Sir Robert

Sir Robert Peel was born February 5, 1788, the eldest son of (Sir) Robert Peel and Ellen Yates. In 1805, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied classics and mathematics. Upon completing his degree, his father bought him the seat of Cashel in Tipperary, and at the age of twenty-one, Sir Robert Peel entered the House of Commons. In 1810, Peel was made the Under-Secretary for War and Colonies, and in 1812, he accepted the post of chief secretary to Ireland, a post he held for six years. From 1818 to 1822, Peel remained in the House of Commons, but as a private member. In 1820, he married Julia Floyd, daughter of Sir John Floyd, and they had two daughters and five sons. In January, 1822, Peel rejoined Lord Liverpool's government until 1827, when Lord Liverpool died and Peel resigned from the House due to political differences with Liverpool's successor, Lord Canning. On August 8, 1828, Canning died and Sir Robert Peel ventured back into the political arena. One of Peel's most notable successes occurred in 1829, when three bills written by him were successfully passed into law. The bills dealt with the suppression of the Catholic Association, Catholic emancipation, and the regulation of franchise in Ireland. On May 3, 1830, upon the death of his father, Robert Peel succeeded to the baronetcy. In 1834, Peel was assigned the double office of First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He retired from office on June 29, 1846. Sir Robert Peel died on July 2, 1850 after a fall from his horse four days earlier. Peel's most notable achievements include the revision of the British penal laws, the creation of a sound financial system, the incorporation of free trade, and the establishment of a metropolitan police force.

Taken from: "Dictionary of National Biography." Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1959-1960.