ABSTRACT
Henry John Temple, later Lord Palmerston, became a Tory MP in 1807 and served his nation continuously until his death fifty-eight years later. Although he did not come immediately to high office, this was his own choice: he declined the Chancellorship of the Exchequer in 1809, opting instead to be Secretary at War – an administrative post which hardly stretched his political abilities. One of the so-called ‘liberal Tories’ of the 1820s, he served under Canning but crossed over to the Whigs after the latter’s death. He became a powerful influence in his newly adopted party, serving as Foreign Secretary in the years 1830–4, 1835–41 and 1846–51 under Grey, Melbourne and Russell respectively. He experienced a change of role, between 1852 and 1855, as Home Secretary, before becoming Prime Minister from 1855 to 1858 and from 1859 to 1865.
