John Bowes, 1st Baron Bowes
John Bowes, 1st Baron Bowes PC (I) (1691 – 22 July 1767) was an Anglo-Irish peer politician and judge.
Life
He was born in London, son of Thomas Bowes, a merchant, and was called to the Bar in 1712. He came to Ireland as a member of the staff of Richard West, the Lord Chancellor in 1723. He built up a large practice at the Irish Bar; was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland in 1730, and Attorney-General in 1739. He was raised to the Bench as Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer in 1741.[1] He was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland by King George II in 1757.
John Bowes epitomized the severity of the 18th century Penal Laws against Irish Catholics when he ruled that: “The law does not suppose any such person to exist as an Irish Roman Catholic, nor could such a person draw breath without the Crown's permission." Such views inevitably made him unpopular, and in 1760 he was attacked during a riot; yet in spite of his bigotry he was considered one of the outstanding judges of his time.
Between 1731 and 1742, he represented Taghmon in the Irish House of Commons.
He was considered one of the finest speakers of his time; his speech for the prosecution at the trial of Lord Santry, charged with murder in 1739, was described by the audience as a masterpiece of eloquence and logic, and led to a unanimous verdict of guilty against Santry by his peers.
He was raised to the peerage of Ireland in 1758 as Baron Bowes, of Clonlyon in the County of Meath.[2]
He died in Dublin on 22 July 1767, and was buried in Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin. He never married, and his title became extinct on his death.
References
- ↑ Ball, F. Elrington, The Judges in Ireland, John Murray, London, 1926
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 9813. p. 2. 29 July 1758.
Parliament of Ireland | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Taghmon 1731–1742 With: William Hore |
Succeeded by Charles Gardiner William Hore |
Legal offices | ||
Preceded by | Solicitor-General for Ireland 1730–1739 |
Succeeded by St George Caulfeild |
Preceded by | Attorney-General for Ireland 1739–1741 |
Succeeded by St George Caulfeild |
Preceded by | Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer 1741–1757 |
Succeeded by Edward Willes |
Preceded by | Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1757–1767 |
Succeeded by James Hewitt |
Peerage of Ireland | ||
New creation | Baron Bowes 1758–1767 |
Extinct |
- Pages with broken file links
- 1691 births
- 1767 deaths
- Attorneys-General for Ireland
- Barons in the Peerage of Ireland
- Irish judges
- Irish MPs 1727–60
- Lord Chancellors of Ireland
- Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801)
- Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
- Solicitors-General for Ireland
- Anglo-Irish people