born Nov. 16, 1811, Rochdale, Lancashire, Eng.
died March 27, 1889, Rochdale
British reform politician and orator.
He entered Parliament in 1843 and served three times as a member of William E. Gladstone 's cabinet. He was active in campaigns for free trade, lower grain prices, and parliamentary reform. His Quaker beliefs shaped his politics, which consisted mainly of demands for an end to inequalities between individuals and between peoples. He denounced the Crimean War, supported the Reform Bill of 1867 , and was a cofounder (with Richard Cobden ) of the Anti-Corn Law League .