F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead

The Right Honourable The Earl of Birkenhead GCSI PC DL
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
In office 10 January 1919 – 19 October 1922
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
Preceded by	The Lord Finlay
Succeeded by	The Viscount Cave
Secretary of State for India
In office 6 November 1924 – 18 October 1928
Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	The Lord Olivier
Succeeded by	The Viscount Peel
Attorney-General for England
In office 3 November 1915 – 10 January 1919
Prime Minister	H. H. Asquith
Preceded by	Sir Edward Carson
Succeeded by	Sir Gordon Hewart
Solicitor-General for England
In office 2 June 1915 – 8 November 1915
Prime Minister	H. H. Asquith
Preceded by	Sir Stanley Buckmaster
Succeeded by	Sir George Cave
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 3 February 1919 – 30 September 1930 Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by	Peerage created
Succeeded by	The 2nd Earl of Birkenhead
Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton
In office 8 February 1906 – 14 December 1918
Preceded by	James Henry Stock
Succeeded by	Harry Chilcott
Personal details
Born	Frederick Edwin Smith 12 July 1872 (1872-07-12) Birkenhead, Cheshire, England
Died	30 September 1930(1930-09-30) (aged 58) Belgravia, London, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Margaret Eleanor Furneaux ​ ​ (m. 1901)​
Children	Eleanor Frederick Pamela
Education	University of Liverpool Wadham College, Oxford

Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead, GCSI, PC, DL (12 July 1872 – 30 September 1930) was a British Conservative politician and barrister who attained high office in the early 20th century, in particular as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. He was a skilled orator, noted for his staunch opposition to Irish nationalism, his wit, pugnacious views, and hard living and drinking. He is perhaps best remembered today as Winston Churchill's greatest personal and political friend until Birkenhead's death aged 58 from pneumonia caused by cirrhosis of the liver.