24 December 1838

Birth of John Morley, journalist, biographer of Gladstone and Liberal cabinet minister

Birth of John Morley, later 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, a noted Liberal and Chief Secretary for Ireland under Gladstone in 1886, to whom he was also biographer. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne in 1883. He was opposed to Britain’s involvement in the Boer War and the First World War, the latter resulted in his leaving Government. In his earlier career he had opposed a compulsory limit to the eight hour working day – proposed by labour leaders in Newcastle. He was also well regarded as a writer, publishing works on Edmund Burke and Rosseau as well as working as a journalist.