Joseph Chamberlain's Highbury: A Very Public Private House

During the second half of the nineteenth century the country houses of leading statesmen became part of the political vocabulary. Gladstone's Hawarden, Disraeli's Hughenden, Salisbury's Hatfield House would all have been familiar place names to those who took an interest in politics. As a man with great ambitions for himself in the political world, and with a son who was being made ready to follow in his footsteps, Joseph Chamberlain wished to own a house that reflected his status and importance. The result was Highbury, situated several miles south of the town centre, which became the Birmingham home for Chamberlain and his family in 1880. But Highbury was more than a family home; it was also a public symbol, a physical reminder of Joe's national importance and local political control. Statesmen regularly arrived to be entertained and to formulate their political plans at Highbury, and were photographed on the terrace which overlooked the magnificent gardens, another feature designed to impress. The house and gardens were widely written about in the newspapers and magazines of the day. This essay, drawing on this material and personal recollections, offers a glimpse into life in a very public private house.