The Adullamites were a short-lived anti-reform faction within the

UK Liberal Party The Liberal Party was one of the two Major party, major List of political parties in the United Kingdom, political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. ...

in 1866. The name is based on a

biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

reference to the

cave of Adullam The Cave of Adullam was originally a stronghold referred to in the Old Testament, near the town of Adullam, where future King David sought refuge from King Saul. The word "cave" is usually used but "fortress", which has a similar appearance in w ...

where

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and his allies sought refuge from

Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered tri ...

. After the death of

Palmerston Palmerston may refer to: People * Christie Palmerston (c. 1851–1897), Australian explorer * Several prominent people have borne the title of Viscount Palmerston ** Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston (c. 1673–1757), Irish nobleman and ...

in 1865, a second Reform Act became a priority for the Liberal Party. However, not all sections of the party agreed with this agenda. The most important internal opposition came from the Adullamites. The faction was led by

Robert Lowe Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke, GCB, PC (4 December 1811 – 27 July 1892), British statesman, was a pivotal conservative spokesman who helped shape British politics in the latter half of the 19th century. He held office under William E ...

and

Lord Elcho Earl of Wemyss ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1633. The Scottish Wemyss family had possessed the lands of Wemyss in Fife since the 12th century. Since 1823 the earldom has been held with the Earldom of March, created in ...

; the name was coined by

John Bright John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies. A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn Laws ...

, a biblical reference that would have been widely understood at the time. After repeated attacks on

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

's bill, they finally defeated the government over an amendment to the Bill on 18 June 1866, which was carried by 315 to 304. This vote gave the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, Russell, cause to resign. There was an abortive attempt to form a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

/Adullamite coalition. However, the Adullamites were not prepared to accept

Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a centr ...

as leader and negotiations broke down. This led to the formation of

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

's 3rd Conservative Minority Administration - who, ultimately, proposed their own reform bill. The Adullamites (with some exceptions) then returned to the Liberal party.

Prominent Adullamites

Augustus Anson Lieutenant-Colonel Augustus Henry Archibald Anson, VC (5 March 1835 – 17 November 1877) was a member of the Anson family and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy th ...

* Sir George Bowyer, Bt. *

Frederick Doulton Frederick Doulton (1824–1872) was a British Liberal Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for Lambeth from 5 May 1862 until 1868. Biography Frederick was the third of eight children of John Doulton (1793–1873), the founder of R ...

* Lord Dunkellin *

* Edward Ellice *

William Henry Gregory Sir William Henry Gregory PC (Ire) KCMG (13 July 1816 – 6 March 1892) was an Anglo-Irish writer and politician, who is now less remembered than his wife Augusta, Lady Gregory, the playwright, co-founder and Director of Dublin's Abbey Theatre, ...

* The Earl Grey *

Earl Grosvenor Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

* Gilbert Heathcote *

Edward Horsman Edward Horsman PC, PC (Ire) (8 February 180730 November 1876), was a British politician. Background and education Horsman was the son of William Horsman, a well-to-do gentleman of Stirling, Scotland, who died 22 March 1845, aged 86. His mot ...

* Samuel Laing * The Marquess of Lansdowne * The Earl of Lichfield *

* Sir Robert Peel, Bt. * Sir Richard William Bulkeley, Bt.

References

''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', "Cave of Adullam"
* {{cite book , last=Skottowe , first=B.C. , title=A Short History of Parliament , publisher=Harper , series=Social science series , year=1887 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W9VVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA304 , access-date=2021-05-02 Politics of the United Kingdom Liberal Party (UK) Political party factions in the United Kingdom

Prominent Adullamites

See also

References