Matthew Talbot Baines

The Right Honourable Matthew Talbot Baines QC, DL


President of the Poor Law Board
In office 1 January 1849 – 21 February 1852
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Lord John Russell
Preceded by	Charles Buller
Succeeded by	Sir John Trollope, Bt
In office 30 December 1852 – 13 August 1855
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Aberdeen
Preceded by	Sir John Trollope, Bt
Succeeded by	Hon. Edward Pleydell-Bouverie
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 7 December 1855 – 21 February 1858
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Viscount Palmerston
Preceded by	The Earl of Harrowby
Succeeded by	The Duke of Montrose
Personal details
Born	17 February 1799 (1799-02-17) Leeds, Yorkshire
Died	22 January 1860 (1860-01-23) (aged 60)
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig, Liberal
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

Matthew Talbot Baines QC, DL (17 February 1799 – 22 January 1860) was a British lawyer and Liberal politician. He most notably served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in Lord Palmerston's 1855 to 1858 administration.

Background and education

Born at Leeds, Yorkshire, Baines was the eldest son of Edward Baines, a noted journalist and minor politician, by Charlotte, daughter of Matthew Talbot.^[1] Sir Edward Baines was his younger brother. He was educated at Richmond School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1820.^[2]

Baines was called to the bar in 1825 and established a successful legal practice. In 1837 Baines was appointed Recorder of Hull, and in 1841 he became a Queen's Counsel. Baines then turned to politics and was elected to parliament for Kingston-upon-Hull in 1847, a seat he held until 1852,^[3] and subsequently represented Leeds until 1859.^[4] Only two years after entering the House of Commons, he was appointed President of the Poor Law Board^[5] in the Whig administration of Lord John Russell. In July 1849 he was also admitted to the Privy Council.^[6] The Liberals fell from power in February 1852, but in December of the same year he was once again appointed President of the Poor Law Board,^[7] this time in the coalition government headed by Lord Aberdeen.

Baines remained as head of the Poor Law Board when Lord Palmerston's became Prime Minister in February 1855. In December 1855 he was made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster^[8] with a seat in the cabinet. He remained in this office until the Liberals lost power in 1858. Baines was also a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire and of Lancashire.^[1] He retired from public life in April 1859 on grounds of ill-health.

In 1833, Baines married the only daughter of Lazarus Threlfall.^[1] He died in January 1860, at the age of 60.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir John Hanmer, Bt Sir Walter James, Bt	Member of Parliament for Kingston-upon-Hull 1847 – 1852 With: James Clay	Succeeded by Viscount Goderich James Clay
Preceded by James Garth Marshall William Beckett	Member of Parliament for Leeds 1852 – 1859 With: Sir George Goodman 1852–1857 Robert Hall March–June 1857 George Skirrow Beecroft 1857–1859	Succeeded by Edward Baines George Skirrow Beecroft
Political offices
Preceded by Charles Buller	President of the Poor Law Board 1849 – 1852	Succeeded by Sir John Trollope, Bt
Preceded by Sir John Trollope, Bt	President of the Poor Law Board 1852 – 1855	Succeeded by Hon. Edward Pleydell-Bouverie
Preceded by The Earl of Harrowby	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1855 – 1858	Succeeded by The Duke of Montrose

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 315534348 LCCN: no89018478

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