Gibson Thomas Milner

Gibson, Thomas Milner (1806-1884), an English politician, was born at Port of Spain, Trinidad, where his father, a major of the 37th Regiment, was stationed. He came to England, and went to school at Walthamstow, where he had for fellow-scholar Benjamin Disraeli. He graduated at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1830, and entered Parliament in 1837 as a Conservative, but afterwards became a Liberal, and lost his seat. In 1841 he was returned at Manchester as an advocate of Free Trade, and in 1846 became a member of Lord John Russell's Ministry as Vice-President of the Board of Trade. He lost his seat in 1857, owing to the part he had taken in the Crimean War question, but was returned for Ashton-under-Lyne, which constituency he represented till 1868, after which he retired from political life. From 1859 to 1866 he was again President of the Board of Trade under Lord Palmerston. Mr. Gibson was wellknown as a yachtsman.