Smith, Frederick E., 1st Lord Birkenhead

views updated May 09 2018

Smith, Frederick E., 1st Lord Birkenhead (1872–1930). Lord chancellor. Educated at Birkenhead and Oxford, Smith made a name for himself as a barrister in Liverpool where (1906) he was elected as a Conservative MP. His rhetorical onslaughts against the Liberal government brought him to the attention of the Tory die-hards, and in 1911 he joined the opposition front bench. In 1915 he became solicitor-general and then attorney-general in the wartime coalition government, and in 1919 was appointed lord chancellor; from 1924 to 1928 he served as secretary of state for India. Smith has been unfairly characterized as an unmitigated reactionary. Though a supporter of Ulster's right to opt out of Home Rule, Smith did his best to bring about a compromise in the Irish question, and played a key part in the negotiations which led to the Irish treaty of 1921. He also devoted much energy to law reform; the passage of the Law of Property Act (1922) was largely due to his efforts.

Geoffrey Alderman

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

Frederick Edwin Smith 1st earl of Birkenhead

All Sources -
Updated Aug 24 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like

    NEARBY TERMS

    Frederick Edwin Smith 1st earl of Birkenhead