Appraisal Horatio Bottomley

maurice cowling: impact of labour: 1920–1924

bottomley s obituaries dwelt on common theme of wasted talent: man of brilliant natural abilities, destroyed greed , vanity. had personal magnetism, eloquence, , power convince , wrote daily mail obituarist. might have been leader @ bar, captain of industry, great journalist. might have been . straits times of singapore thought bottomley have rivalled lloyd george national leader: though deserved fate, news of passing awaken many regrets did when bottomley reformer , crusader , champion of bottom dog . later historian, maurice cowling, pays tribute bottomley s capacity , industry, , forceful campaigns in support of liberty. in sketch oxford dictionary of national biography, morris delivers different judgement: [h]e claimed serve interests of others, sought own gratification .

among bottomley s principal biographers, hyman suggests financial fecklessness , disregard consequences may have originated deprived background , sudden acquisition of wealth in 1890s. success went head , started spending money drunken sailor , never break habit. wonder, says hyman, stayed out of prison long did. searle speculates bottomley protected prosecution because of knowledge of wider scandals in government, particularly after lloyd george s coalition assumed power in 1916. symons acknowledges bottomley s wonderfully rich public personality suggests there no substance behind presentation: throughout adult life, bottomley more series of public attitudes person . matthew engel in guardian notes ability charm public while swindling them; 1 victim, cheated of £40,000, apparently insisted: not sorry lent him money, , again . if london had had mayor in days, says engel, bottomley have won in landslide.

bottomley subject of episode in 1972–73 bbc television series edwardians, transmitted on 28 november 1972. part of bottomley played timothy west, mitzi rogers peggy primrose , john welsh mr justice hawkins.