Earl Grey

A carte-de-visite portrait of Henry Grey, 3rd Earl Grey (1802-1894), British politician, son of Charles Grey (who served as Prime Minister 1830-34 and carried the Great Reform Bill of 1832).

He served under his father as Undersecretary for the Colonies from 1830 to 1833, resigning because the Cabinet would not back the immediate abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire, though the same government was subsequently responsible for the emancipation of the slaves. He was later Secretary of War from 1835 to 1839, and Colonial Secretary 1846 to 1852.

He was unique among politicians of the period in maintaining that the colonies should be governed for their own benefit and not that of Britain, and in his policy of granting self-government whenever possible. However, he was a supporter of convict transportation, and was opposed to Gladstone’s Home Rule for Ireland policy.

Photographed by John Mayall of London and Brighton.