Bradford People: Sir John Cam Hobhouse

Posted on Aug 9, 2012 in People, Social History |

.

Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Baron Broughton (1786-1869) was the son of banker Sir Benjamin Hobhouse and Charlotte, daughter of Samuel Cam of The Chantry, Church Street in Bradford. As a young man he became a friend of Lord Byron and together they travelled in Greece, Albania and the Balkans. His radical writings earned him a spell in Newgate Prison in 1819, but he became a Whig MP for Westminster in the following year and until 1833, then for Nottingham 1834-1847 and Harwich 1848-1852. he was Secretary at War 1832-1833, Chief Secretary for Ireland 1833, First Commissioner for Woods and Forests 1834 and President of the Board of Control 1835-1841 and 1846-1852. In 1851 he was created a Baronet and took his title from Broughton Gifford; he became a Knight of the Order of the Bath in the following year.

The Hobhouse family became the Lords of the Manor of Bradford and of Broughton Gifford, living at Monkton Farleigh Manor. Several of them were Members of Parliament, on the Whig/Liberal side. Sir Charles Parry Hobhouse (1825-1916), the 3rd baronet was a historian of Monkton Farleigh.

.