William Brodrick, 8th Viscount Midleton (6 January 1830 – 18 April 1907), was an Irish peer, landowner and Conservative politician in both Houses of Parliament, entering first the Commons for two years.
Midleton contested the East Surrey parliamentary seat in 1865 but was unsuccessful.[3] Midleton was returned to Parliament as one of two representatives for Surrey Mid in 1868.[3] He served on two commissions, the Noxious Vapours Commission (1875) and the Sale of Exchange of Livings (1877) although his blindness limited his ability to do more in public life. Midleton's son later wrote of him:
My father, whose courage and self-denial were conspicuous, suffered from serious defects of sight and hearing, partly due to an accident, but mainly to his father and mother having been first cousins, from which source a disability affected several of my grandfather's family in different ways. The calamity of partial blindness came upon my father early in his married life, and deprived him of a rising practice at the Bar. Although he fought his way with splendid energy into Parliament, his infirmities robbed him of the full scope which his ability and untiring work would have commanded.[4]
Hansard records 161 contributions, with a notable hiatus for the years 1898 to 1901.[5]
Later life
He vacated his seat in the commons in 1905 when he succeeded his father in the viscountcy.[3] For some time he was president of the National Protestant Church Union, and Midleton served as High Steward of Kingston-upon-Thames from 1875 to 1893 and Lord Lieutenant of Surrey between 1896 and 1905.[3]
Hon. Laurence Alan Brodrick (1864–1915), who married Anne Gwendolyn Lloyd Wynne in 1896. Anne, a widow of Maj. Gen. Edward William Lloyd Wynne, was a daughter of Hugh Robert Hughes.[1]
Lady Midleton died on 1 June 1903 aged 75 at Peper Harow.[9] Lord Midleton survived her by four years and died on 18 April 1907, aged 77 at Peper Harow.[3] He was succeeded by his eldest son, St John, who was a prominent Conservative politician and was created Earl of Midleton in 1920.[10] His probate was resworn in 1907 at a rounded (as to shillings and pence) £78,967 (equivalent to about £10,600,000 in 2023).[11]
