Constituency : Bedford 1852-95
Samuel was from the famous brewing family and the fourth in a line of MPs of the same name. He was educated at Rugby and Cambridge. In 1850 he became private secretary to Sir George Grey and two years later was elected for Bedford at the age of 22. He became a frequent Speaker in the Commons and was held in high regard for fairness in debate. T W Russell described him as "an umpire perfectly impartial - except that he never gives his own side out" . He was often canvassed as a possible Speaker. He was generally a Whig supporting peace, retrenchment, free trade and religious liberty. He was a moderate Evangelical on good terms with the Nonconformists. He was a large man fond of shooting and yachting.
In 1859 Samuel was made Civil Lord of the Admiralty by Palmerston and held the post till 1863 when he stood down on health grounds - "I cannot get a living out of the London air ".
Samuel had an interesting relationship with Gladstone. He refused office in 1868. In 1885 he was one of the few MPs Gladstone told about his conversion to Home Rule before it became public knowledge. In 1886 he challenged him over the number of Irish MPs at Westminster in his Home Rule Bill and received a stony glare. He thought Gladstone was moving too fast on Home Rule but did not join the Liberal Unionists. Instead he acted fruitlessly as a go-between with regard to Gladstone and Bright.
In 1895 he retired, passing up the chance to be "Father of the House", and his seat went to the Conservatives. He accurately predicted the course of politics for the next few years " I fancy that for two or three years the Government will go on quietly enough ; and then, when they find their popularity waning , they will pick a quarrel with somebody, and go to war. It is always difficult for an Opposition to attack a Government which is conducting a war , and I think Chamberlain is just the man to take advantage of that difficulty.
He died in 1915 aged 85.
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