F. E. Smith 1st Earl of Birkenhead Politician

The Rt Hon. Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead, GCSI, PC, KC (12 July 1872 – 30 September 1930), best known to history as F. E. Smith, was a British Conservative statesman and lawyer who attained high office in the early 20th century, most notably Lord Chancellor. He was a skilled orator, noted for his staunch opposition to Irish nationalism, his wit, pugnacious views, and hard living and drinking. He is perhaps best remembered today as Winston Churchill's greatest personal and political friend until Birkenhead's death at age fifty-eight from pneumonia caused by cirrhosis of the liver.

Personal facts

F. E. Smith 1st Earl of Birkenhead
Birth dateJuly 12, 1872
Birth place
Birkenhead
Date of deathSeptember 30, 1930
Education
University of Liverpool
Wadham College Oxford
Children
Frederick Smith 2nd Earl of Birkenhead
Eleanor Smith

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