September 19 in Scottish History

On this day in 1778, Henry, Lord Brougham, the Scottish Whig statesman and jurist was born in Edinburgh. Educated in Edinburgh, Brougham was called to the Scottish Bar in 1800. He moved to England in 1805 and spent the rest of his working life there. Entering Parliament in 1810, he became Lord Chancellor in 1830. An active campaigner against slavery and for law reform and national education, he helped set up the Central Criminal Court and helped pass both the Reform Bill of 1832 and the act abolishing slavery in Britain. Whilst in Edinburgh he helped found the Edinburgh Review and was a prolific contributor. Brougham also played a part in the founding of London University, and in 1820 acted as defence for Queen Caroline. In later life he retired to Cannes to write his memoirs, which were published posthumously in 1871.

19th September 1806 saw the birth of William Dyce, the painter and educator. Dyce was born in Aberdeen and studied in Edinburgh and London. He twice visited Italy, where he gained an appreciation of early Italian art and was also influenced by the German Nazarenes who were at that time settled in Rome. He was a precursor of the Pre-Raphaelites in both subject and style, painting with a highly detailed realism as illustrated by his best known work, Pegwell Bay, Kent, now held in the Tate Gallery in London. Dyce also pioneered the teaching of art education in state schools.

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