Portrait of George Canning, three-quarter-length, in a black coat, holding a letter in his right hand, by a column

An enthusiastic follower of Pitt the Younger, George Canning was one of the more prominent politicians of the early nineteenth Century. He was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1807-9 and 1822-7 and in the last year of his life, 1827, he served as Prime Minister, dying suddenly after 119 days in office. Interestingly, in the present picture, Canning holds a letter inscribed 'J.Gladstone' which is dated indistinctly. Sir John Gladstone took a keen interest in politics; initially a Whig supporter, he soon came to support the Tories, and in particular, George Canning. In 1812 he presided over a meeting at Liverpool which was called to invite Canning to represent Liverpool in the House of Commons, a position that Canning duly accepted.