Stephen Woulfe
Encyclopedia
Stephen Woulfe was an Irish barrister
and Liberal
politician. He served as Solicitor-General for Ireland
, 1836 and as Attorney-General for Ireland
in 1838; he became first Catholic to be Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.
, County Clare in 1787, to Stephen Woulfe and Honora Woulfe (née McNamara). His father was a distant cousin of the great general James Wolfe
; his mother was a sister of Admiral James Macnamara
He was educated at the lay college at St Patrick's College, Maynooth
, before becoming one of the first Catholics to attend Trinity College Dublin where he studied law, before being called to the bar in 1814.
He was elected Member of Parliament
(MP) for Cashel
at a by-election in 1835, and held the seat until his resignation from the House of Commons
in 1838.He showed great zeal in the fight for Catholic Emancipation
; but incurred the hostility of Daniel O'Connell
by arguing that the Government was entitled to have a veto on the appointment of Catholic bishops. These views endeared him to the Government and together with his undoubted legal ability ensured his rapid promotion.
His grandson Edward Sheil
(the son of his daughter Mary Leonora) was an Irish Nationalist MP.
at this time had the heaviest workload of the Courts and its Chief required a strong constitution. Despite his ability, Woulfe's chronic ill-health made him a very poor choice for the office, and indeed he did not seek it: both Maziere Brady
and Edward Pennefather
were suggested instead .However he finally yielded to his party's pleas to take office and, in Ball's phrase, " the job killed him in two years".
Due to ill health he went to Baden-Baden
, where he died on 2 July 1840.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician. He served as Solicitor-General for Ireland
Solicitor-General for Ireland
The Solicitor-General for Ireland was the holder of an Irish and then United Kingdom government office. The holder was a deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. At least one holder of the office, Patrick Barnewall played a significant role in...
, 1836 and as 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...
in 1838; he became first Catholic to be Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.
Life
Woulfe was born in EnnisEnnis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
, County Clare in 1787, to Stephen Woulfe and Honora Woulfe (née McNamara). His father was a distant cousin of the great general James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
; his mother was a sister of Admiral James Macnamara
James Macnamara
James Macnamara was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
He was educated at the lay college at St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
, before becoming one of the first Catholics to attend Trinity College Dublin where he studied law, before being called to the bar in 1814.
He was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Cashel
Cashel (UK Parliament constituency)
Cashel is a former British Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one MP. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801....
at a by-election in 1835, and held the seat until his resignation from the House of Commons
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
in 1838.He showed great zeal in the fight for Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
; but incurred the hostility of 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...
by arguing that the Government was entitled to have a veto on the appointment of Catholic bishops. These views endeared him to the Government and together with his undoubted legal ability ensured his rapid promotion.
Family
He was married to Frances Hamill of Dowth, County Meath, and had a son and a daughter.His grandson Edward Sheil
Edward Sheil
Edward Sheil was Irish nationalist politician. He was a Member of Parliament for Athlone from 1874 to 1880, for Meath from 1882 to 1885, and for South Meath from 1885 to 1892, taking his seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.Sheil was the son of General...
(the son of his daughter Mary Leonora) was an Irish Nationalist MP.
Chief Baron
According to Elrington Ball, the Court of ExchequerCourt of Exchequer
Court of Exchequer may refer to:*Exchequer of Pleas, an ancient English court, that ceased to exist independently in the late nineteenth century...
at this time had the heaviest workload of the Courts and its Chief required a strong constitution. Despite his ability, Woulfe's chronic ill-health made him a very poor choice for the office, and indeed he did not seek it: both Maziere Brady
Maziere Brady
Sir Maziere Brady, 1st Baronet PC was an Irish judge, notable for his exceptionally long tenure as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.Brady was born in Dublin, the second son of Francis Brady of Booterstown and his wife Charlotte Hodgson...
and Edward Pennefather
Edward Pennefather
Edward Pennefather PC, KC was an Irish judge.Pennefather was born in Tipperary, the second son of William Pennefather and his wife Ellen Moore. He went to school in Clonmel and graduated from the University of Dublin. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1795 and was King's Counsel by 1816...
were suggested instead .However he finally yielded to his party's pleas to take office and, in Ball's phrase, " the job killed him in two years".
Due to ill health he went to Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
, where he died on 2 July 1840.