254:, who was a Catholic. Daniel O'Connell exulted in "the downfall of our mortal foe". Wellesley, who was accused of treating Saurin harshly, said that short of offering him the Lord Lieutenancy itself, he did not see what more he could have done. Saurin retained some indirect political influence until the enactment of Catholic Emancipation in 1829 finally ended his political career.
250:; when Saurin, who had never shown any interest in going on the Bench, refused, he was dismissed from the Attorney General's Office outright, a decision which seems to have come as an utterly unexpected blow to Saurin. Saurin's anti-Catholic bias is also said to have offended Wellesley's second wife,
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into an indictment of Saurin's anti-Catholic bias, although at the time these attacks did not greatly damage him; indeed O'Connell's personal attacks on Saurin, whom he called "stupid and vulgar", may have aroused sympathy for him. Saurin's prejudice against
Catholics, sharpened by his personal feud
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to secure the conviction of
Catholics in political cases, irrespective of whether they were innocent or guilty, did great damage to both of their reputations. In due course, the decision was taken to remove him from office as Attorney General, but to compensate him by appointment to the Bench. In
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denied the right of the legislature to alienate its sacred trust. He insisted that it would amount to a forfeiture of that estate which was derived from and held under the people, in whom the reversion must perpetually remain; that they were bound to consult the will of the majority of the nation,
37:
from 1807 to 1822, and for much of that period, he acted as the effective head of the Irish
Government. He was unusual among Irish Law Officers in that he was never appointed a judge, nor wished to become one. As an Ulster Protestant, and a determined opponent of Catholic Emancipation, he incurred
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Saurin's effective control of the Dublin administration was well known to, and for many years taken for granted by the
British Government; in time however, his inflexible opinions and unpopularity made him a political liability. The publication of a letter he wrote to
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Despite his increasing age he returned to private practice for some years, and became "Father of the Bar" (that is, its longest serving member). In that capacity, he gave the farewell address to the departing Lord
Chancellor, Sir
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His tenure as
Attorney-General is remarkable not only for its length, but also for his effective dominance of the Irish administration, a position never equalled by any other holder of the office (with the possible exception of
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with O'Connell, grew stronger until it became a matter of serious political concern; and while the Crown succeeded in convicting Magee, it failed to secure convictions in other related trials such as that of Dr. Sheridan.
163:. Others noted that by "the nation" Saurin meant the Protestant ruling class with whose interests he wholly identified: never, according to his critics, did he admit that the Catholic majority had any rights at all.
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despite his opposition to the Union and his repeated refusal to stand for the post-Union
Parliament is a tribute to his legal eminence (although Daniel O'Connell inevitably accused him of political time-serving).
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He was described as small and decidedly "French" in appearance (hence O'Connell's gibe about his being a "transplanted
Frenchman"); his face was dominated by shaggy eyebrows, under which his black eyes had a
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in 1780. After a slow start in his profession, he became one of its acknowledged leaders; despite his later eminence he was at first considered something of a "plodder".
215:; but his perceived bias against Catholics destroyed his popularity. As early as 1813 his enemy Daniel O'Connell tried to turn the trial of the publisher John Magee for
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196:, was not familiar with the Irish political scene, gave Saurin the opportunity to direct the Irish Government, an opportunity of which he took full advantage. Sir
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286:(died 1783). She and William had four sons, including Edward, James and Mark, and one daughter. Their eldest son, Edward (died 1878), became an
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1812–1818, was said to be wholly in sympathy with Saurin, although Peel was later to radically alter his own position on
Catholic Emancipation.
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expression. His private life was blameless and despite his anti-Catholic bias, his character was described as honourable and affectionate.
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descent (no doubt this is why Daniel O'Connell called
William an "insolent transplanted Frenchman"). The family, who were originally from
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54:, second of the four sons of the Reverend James Saurin, Vicar of Belfast (died 1774) and his wife Jane Duff.
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As an Ulster Protestant, of Huguenot origin, it was perhaps natural that he should combine sympathy for the
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in 1685. Even a century later, this episode, according to his friends, made a deep impression on William.
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91:, who converted to Catholicism, and then back to the Reformed faith), was William's grandfather.
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305:, Dublin, in January 1839; his widow died the following year. He also owned Carysfort House,
87:, the first of the family to settle in Ireland, (he was a brother of the celebrated preacher
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42:, who called him "the mortal foe", and worked for years to have him removed from office.
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This article is about the Irish barrister and politician. For the trimaran sailboat, see
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His speeches against the Union were considered to be among the finest on the topic. He
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Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Wicklow constituencies
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and married Lady Mary Ryder (died 1900), daughter of the prominent statesman
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He was educated at Duboudien's School, a well-regarded private academy in
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and his wife Susanna Leveson Gower. The celebrated Australian actor
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107:, where he took his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1777. He entered
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and that the will of the majority was the foundation of all law
401:. Vol. 50. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 333.
139:, in order to combat the achievement of the Union.
248:Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland
237:, urging him to use his influence with Protestant
127:and endeavoured, without success, to persuade the
188:was usually an absentee appointment and that the
184:, Attorney General 1760–1777). The fact that the
73:, fled from France after the revocation of the
16:Irish barrister, Crown official and politician
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131:as a body to oppose it. He then entered the
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415:Round Hall Sweet and Maxwell, Dublin, 1996
270:Saurin married Mary O'Brien, daughter of
155:denounced the speech as an incitement to
276:William O'Brien, 2nd Marquess of Thomond
274:and Mary Carrick. She was the sister of
123:Saurin was a passionate opponent of the
33:, Crown official and politician. He was
536:Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
335:
235:Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas
29:(1757 – 11 February 1839) was an Irish
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353:King Dan- the rise of Daniel O'Connell
280:James O'Brien, 3rd Marquess of Thomond
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355:Gill and Macmillan Dublin 2008 p.191
292:Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby
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284:Sir Richard Eyre Cox, 4th Baronet
398:Dictionary of National Biography
309:, and held substantial lands in
551:Irish people of French descent
242:1822 the new Lord Lieutenant,
1:
521:Attorneys-general for Ireland
483:Attorney-General for Ireland
451:February–August 1800
175:Attorney-General for Ireland
168:Attorney-General for Ireland
35:Attorney-General for Ireland
301:Saurin died at his home at
202:Chief Secretary for Ireland
65:The Saurins were of French
62:, was his younger brother.
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190:Lord Chancellor of Ireland
186:Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
119:Legal and political career
95:Education and early career
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445:Member of Parliament for
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324:piercing but not unkindly
21:William Saurin (trimaran)
546:Members of Lincoln's Inn
541:Politicians from Belfast
317:Character and appearance
462:Constituency abolished
392:"Saurin, William"
159:and compared Saurin to
413:The Irish Law Officers
351:Geoghegan, Patrick M.
298:was William's nephew.
272:Edward Dominic O'Brien
166:That he was appointed
133:Irish House of Commons
105:Trinity College Dublin
426:Parliament of Ireland
296:William Saurin Lyster
213:Catholic emancipation
38:the bitter enmity of
561:Lawyers from Belfast
531:Irish MPs 1798–1800
303:St. Stephen's Green
282:, and the widow of
50:Saurin was born in
468:Political offices
211:with hostility to
499:
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490:Succeeded by
113:called to the Bar
60:Bishop of Dromore
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526:Irish barristers
473:Preceded by
439:Richard Annesley
432:Preceded by
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311:County Tipperary
40:Daniel O'Connell
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244:Lord Wellesley
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182:Philip Tisdall
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135:as member for
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89:Jacques Saurin
85:Dean of Ardagh
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27:William Saurin
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209:Orange Order
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194:Lord Manners
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161:Thomas Paine
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125:Act of Union
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81:Louis Saurin
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56:James Saurin
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26:
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516:1839 deaths
511:1757 births
456:John Reilly
447:Blessington
435:John Reilly
387:Lee, Sidney
262:, in 1830.
198:Robert Peel
153:Castlereagh
137:Blessington
505:Categories
487:1807–1822
330:References
307:Stillorgan
231:John Toler
224:Dismissal
157:rebellion
129:Irish Bar
103:, and at
31:barrister
252:Marianne
111:and was
67:Huguenot
288:Admiral
101:Lisburn
52:Belfast
453:With:
278:, and
239:juries
233:, the
46:Family
217:libel
71:Nimes
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360:^
338:^
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200:,
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