William Gully, 1st Viscount Selby

William Court Gully, 1st Viscount Selby QC, PC ( August 29, 1835 *, † November 6, 1909 ) was a British politician of the Liberal Party and Speaker of the House (House of Commons ).

Family and career

The son of the physician Dr. James Manby Gully, a pioneer in the field of hydrotherapy completed, post-school studies in law at Trinity College ( Cambridge ), where he was at times also president of the debating club " Cambridge Union Society ". After graduation, he was admitted to the bar in 1860, 1877 he moved to the office of judge.

Political career

Gully began his political career as an unsuccessful candidate of the Liberal Party in the general election of 1880 and 1883 in the constituency of Whitehaven. In 1886 he was elected a deputy of the House. There he represented the constituency until 1905 Carlisle.

In April 1895 he was elected as the successor of Arthur Wellesley Peel to the speaker ( Speaker) of the House of Commons. He sat down with the narrow majority of eleven votes to the candidate of the Unionist Party, Matthew Ridley, by which, however, was in 1895 Minister of the Interior in the cabinet of the Marquess of Salisbury on 21 June.

In 1905 he resigned from his position as Speaker back. Successor as House speaker was his former First Deputy James William Lowther. According to an old tradition according to he was elevated to the hereditary nobility. He held the title Viscount Selby ( maiden name of his wife) and as such belonged to the House of Lords on.