Francis Blackburne
Encyclopedia
Francis Blackburne PC (Ire)
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
KS (11 November 1782 – 17 September 1867) was an Irish judge and eventually became Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
.
Background
Born at Great Footston in County MeathCounty Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, he was the son of Richard Blackburne of Great Foot's Town and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Hopkins, a descendant of Ezekiel Hopkins
Ezekiel Hopkins
Ezekiel Hopkins was an Anglican divine in the Church of Ireland, who was Bishop of Derry from 1681 to 1690.-Life:He was born in Devon, and was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a chorister from 1648 to 1653, and graduated B.A. in 1655 and M.A. in 1656...
, Bishop of Derry during the Siege.
Blackburne was educated in Dublin at the school of Rev. William White before entering Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in 1798, later winning a scholarship, gold medal (1803) and other distinctions. He finally graduated in 1806 (M.A.) and was a member of the Old Historical Society.
Judicial career
He was called to the Irish bar in 1805 and practised with great success on the home circuit. Blackburne was nominated a King's Counsel in 1822 and administered the Insurrection ActInsurrection Act
The Insurrection Act of 1807 is the set of laws that govern the US President's ability to deploy troops within the United States to put down lawlessness, insurrection and rebellion. The laws are chiefly contained in - . The general aim is to limit Presidential power as much as possible, relying on...
in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
for two years, effectually restoring order in the district. In 1826 he became the King's Third Serjeant-at-law and in 1830 was advanced to the Second Serjeant. A year later, he was appointed Attorney-General for Ireland
Attorney-General for Ireland
The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Irish and then United Kingdom government office. The holder was senior to the Solicitor-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters...
and on this occasion was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
. He held the post as attorney-general until 1834, however was readmitted in 1841 and after serving for a year, became Master of the Rolls in Ireland
Master of the Rolls in Ireland
The office of Master of the Rolls in Ireland originated in the office of the keeper of the Rolls in the Irish Chancery and became an office granted by letters patent in 1333. It was abolished in 1924....
. In 1845, he was chosen Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench. Blackburne was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
in February 1852, but was replaced already in October. After a break of four years, he became a Lord Justice of Appeal in Ireland. In 1866, he began a second term as lord chancellor, which ended with his death in the next year.
Blackburne prosecuted Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
and presided at the trial of William Smith O'Brien
William Smith O'Brien
William Smith O'Brien was an Irish Nationalist and Member of Parliament and leader of the Young Ireland movement. He was convicted of sedition for his part in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, but his sentence of death was commuted to deportation to Van Diemen's Land. In 1854, he was...
. From 1851, he was vice-chancellor of the University of Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
.
Family
In 1809, he married Jane, daughter of William Martley of Ballyfallen, Co. Meath. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters. Blackburne bought Rathfarnham CastleRathfarnham Castle
Rathfarnham Castle is a 16th century castle in Rathfarnham, South Dublin, Ireland.-Origins:The earlier Anglo-Norman castle which was replaced by the present building was built on lands which were confiscated from the Eustace family of Baltinglass because of their involvement in the Second Desmond...
in 1852, where his family continued to reside for three generations.