John Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington

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John Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington (January 27, 1800 - March 7, 1873), English statesman, was the eldest son of John Denison (d. 1820) of Ossington, Nottinghamshire, where he was born.

Educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, a Whig, he became member of parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1823, being returned for Hastings three years later, and holding for a short time a subordinate position in Canning's ministry. Defeated in 1830 both at Newcastle-under-Lyme and then at Liverpool, Denison secured a seat as one of the members for Nottinghamshire in 1831; and after the Great Reform Act he represented the southern division of that county from 1832 until the general election of 1837.

He represented Malton from 1841 to 1857, and North Nottinghamshire from 1857 to 1872. In April 1857 Denison was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons. Re-elected at the beginning of three successive parliaments he retained this position until February 1872, when he resigned and was created Viscount Ossington. He refused, however, to accept the pension usually given to retiring Speakers.

Denison gave an explanation—referred to as Speaker Denison's rule—as to why the Speaker casts his or her vote in most cases in favour of, rather than against, a government, where they have the casting vote.

In 1827 he had married Charlotte (d. 1889), daughter of William, 4th duke of Portland, but he left no children. He died on the 7th of March 1873, and his title became extinct.

His brother was George Anthony Denison, a conservative churchman.

Preceded by Charles Shaw Lefevre

Speaker of the House of Commons 1857–1872

Succeeded by Henry Brand

Preceded by New Creation

Viscount Ossington

Succeeded by Extinct

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.