William Gladstone, four times a Liberal British Prime Minister, was for a time Newark's MP

8.34.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 13th Oct 2009

Newark Lib Dems celebrated the 200th anniversary of Gladstone's birth at a special meeting in Newark Town Hall on Sunday, October 11th. A packed room listened intently to a talk on Gladstone's early career by Dr Richard Gaunt of Nottingham University, including Gladstone's election at Newark in 1832.

Gladstone held the seat until 1846. At first he was a Tory, sponsored by the Duke of Newcastle of Clumber Park. But his views changed, and after the Liberal Party was formed in 1859, Gladstone became the Liberal Party leader, and was Prime Minister four times before his death at the end of the century. After the talk, Paul Holmes, Lib Dem MP for Chesterfield, gave a vote of thanks.

Photo: Dr Richard Gaunt with Pauline Jenkins, Newark Lib Dem Parliametary Spokeswoman