Jonathan Peel

The Right Honourable Jonathan Peel
Secretary of State for War
In office 26 February 1858 – 11 June 1859
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Derby
Preceded by	The Lord Panmure
Succeeded by	The Lord Herbert of Lea
In office 6 July 1866 – 8 March 1867
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Derby
Preceded by	The Marquess of Hartington
Succeeded by	Sir John Pakington, Bt
Personal details
Born	12 October 1799 (1799-10-12)
Died	13 February 1879 (1879-02-14)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Lady Alice Kennedy (d. 1887)
Alma mater	None

Jonathan Peel (12 October 1799 – 13 February 1879) was a British soldier, Conservative politician and racehorse owner.

Background and education

Peel was the fifth son of Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet, and his first wife Ellen (née Yates), and the younger brother of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet. He was educated at Rugby.

Military career

Peel was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade as a 2nd Lieutenant in June 1815. His later steady rise through the ranks was obtained by purchase. Peel served as a lieutenant in the 71st Highlanders from 1819 to 1821 and in the Grenadier Guards from 1822 to 1825, as a Major in the 69th Foot from 1826 to 1827, as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the 53rd Foot in 1827, when he was placed on half-pay. He was promoted to brevet Colonel in 1841, to Major-General in 1854 and to Lieutenant-General in 1859.

Political career

Peel's political career started when he was elected Member of Parliament for Norwich in 1826. He lost this seat in 1830 but returned to Parliament the following year as one of two representatives for Huntingdon, a seat he held until 1868. He served under his brother as Surveyor-General of the Ordnance from 1841 to 1846 and was Secretary of State for War (with a seat in the cabinet) under the Earl of Derby between 1858 and 1859 and 1866 and 1867. In the latter office he was considered competent and successful and became very popular. However, he resigned in March 1867 in protest against the proposed electoral reforms. He had been admitted to the Privy Council in 1858.

Racing

Apart from his military and political career Peel was also an owner of racehorses, and in 1844 his horse Orlando won the Derby, after another horse, Running Rein, had been disqualified.

Family

File:Lady Alice Jane Peel after Mary Green.jpg

Lady Alice Jane Peel by James Thomson (Thompson), after Mary Green (née Byrne), 1833

Peel married Alice Jane, the widow of Thomas Clater, painter. They had five sons and three daughters. His second son Edmund Yates Peel became a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army and his fourth son John Peel achieved the rank of Lieutenant-General in the Army. His second daughter Alice married the diplomat Sir Robert Morier. Peel died in February 1879, aged 79. His wife survived him by eight years and died in May 1887.

See also

• Earl Peel

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
•  

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Jonathan Peel

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by William Smith Richard Hanbury Gurney	Member of Parliament for Norwich 1826–1830 With: William Smith	Succeeded by Richard Hanbury Gurney Robert Grant
Preceded by John Calvert James Stuart	Member of Parliament for Huntingdon 1831 – 1868 With: Sir Frederick Pollock, Bt 1831–1844 Thomas Baring 1844–1868	Succeeded by Thomas Baring
Political offices
Preceded by Charles Richard Fox	Surveyor-General of the Ordnance 1841–1846	Succeeded by Charles Richard Fox
Preceded by The Lord Panmure	Secretary of State for War 1858–1859	Succeeded by The Lord Herbert of Lea
Preceded by Marquess of Hartington	Secretary of State for War 1866–1867	Succeeded by Sir John Pakington