Recent from talks
Philip Tisdall
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Philip Tisdall
Philip Tisdall SL (1 March 1703 – 11 September 1777) was an Irish lawyer and politician, who held the office of Attorney-General for Ireland. He was for many years a leading figure in the Irish Government.
He was born in County Louth, son of Richard Tisdall (died 1742), who was MP for Dundalk in 1703–1713 and for County Louth in 1717–1727, by his wife Marian Boyle, daughter of Richard Boyle, MP, a cousin of the Earl of Cork. His father was also Registrar of the Court of Chancery (Ireland): this seems to have been a sinecure, since it passed to Philip on his father's death. They were cousins of the Reverend William Tisdall of Belfast, who nowadays is best remembered for his wish to marry Esther Johnson, the beloved Stella of Jonathan Swift; this connection may explain the interest (not, it seems, entirely friendly) which Swift in old age took in Philip's career.
He was educated at Thomas Sheridan's school in Dublin, and at Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1722. He entered Middle Temple in 1723 and was called to the Irish Bar in 1733. He quickly became one of the leaders of the Bar, partly through his legal ability and partly through his marriage into the wealthy and influential Singleton family of Drogheda, and was reputed to earn £30,000 a year. He was made a Bencher of the King's Inns in 1742.
He sat in the Irish House of Commons as MP for Dublin University from 1739 to 1776 and then for the city of Armagh from 1776 to his death. He had been elected as member for Armagh in 1768, but chose to continue sitting for the university.
In 1742, he was appointed Third Serjeant, then Solicitor-General in 1751 and Attorney-General in 1760. He enjoyed the crucial support of George Stone, Archbishop of Armagh. He was also appointed judge of the Prerogative Court of Ireland, an office he held from 1745 to his death, but failed to become Master of the Rolls in Ireland as he had hoped to on the death of his wife's uncle, Henry Singleton, in 1759. In 1763, he became Principal Secretary of State, and on 28 February 1764 he was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland. For almost 20 years he was a crucial figure in the Irish Government, which relied on him to manage the Irish House of Commons, a task which he performed with great skill and tact.
Tisdall was almost all-powerful until 1767, when George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend arrived as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Townshend had a mandate to restore the direct power of the Crown over Irish affairs and to bypass the Irish political managers like Tisdall. To his credit, Townshend recognised that Tisdall's support was still an asset to the Government, and made great efforts to conciliate him.
Townshend lobbied hard for Tisdall to be appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, but to his bitter disappointment he came up against the inflexible British reluctance, which endured for many years afterwards, to appoint an Irishman to this crucial office.
Tisdall retained the confidence of successive Lords Lieutenants, and, in 1777, despite his age and failing health, he was asked to resume his role as Government leader in the House of Commons: he agreed, but died at Spa, Belgium on 11 September the same year.
Hub AI
Philip Tisdall AI simulator
(@Philip Tisdall_simulator)
Philip Tisdall
Philip Tisdall SL (1 March 1703 – 11 September 1777) was an Irish lawyer and politician, who held the office of Attorney-General for Ireland. He was for many years a leading figure in the Irish Government.
He was born in County Louth, son of Richard Tisdall (died 1742), who was MP for Dundalk in 1703–1713 and for County Louth in 1717–1727, by his wife Marian Boyle, daughter of Richard Boyle, MP, a cousin of the Earl of Cork. His father was also Registrar of the Court of Chancery (Ireland): this seems to have been a sinecure, since it passed to Philip on his father's death. They were cousins of the Reverend William Tisdall of Belfast, who nowadays is best remembered for his wish to marry Esther Johnson, the beloved Stella of Jonathan Swift; this connection may explain the interest (not, it seems, entirely friendly) which Swift in old age took in Philip's career.
He was educated at Thomas Sheridan's school in Dublin, and at Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1722. He entered Middle Temple in 1723 and was called to the Irish Bar in 1733. He quickly became one of the leaders of the Bar, partly through his legal ability and partly through his marriage into the wealthy and influential Singleton family of Drogheda, and was reputed to earn £30,000 a year. He was made a Bencher of the King's Inns in 1742.
He sat in the Irish House of Commons as MP for Dublin University from 1739 to 1776 and then for the city of Armagh from 1776 to his death. He had been elected as member for Armagh in 1768, but chose to continue sitting for the university.
In 1742, he was appointed Third Serjeant, then Solicitor-General in 1751 and Attorney-General in 1760. He enjoyed the crucial support of George Stone, Archbishop of Armagh. He was also appointed judge of the Prerogative Court of Ireland, an office he held from 1745 to his death, but failed to become Master of the Rolls in Ireland as he had hoped to on the death of his wife's uncle, Henry Singleton, in 1759. In 1763, he became Principal Secretary of State, and on 28 February 1764 he was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland. For almost 20 years he was a crucial figure in the Irish Government, which relied on him to manage the Irish House of Commons, a task which he performed with great skill and tact.
Tisdall was almost all-powerful until 1767, when George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend arrived as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Townshend had a mandate to restore the direct power of the Crown over Irish affairs and to bypass the Irish political managers like Tisdall. To his credit, Townshend recognised that Tisdall's support was still an asset to the Government, and made great efforts to conciliate him.
Townshend lobbied hard for Tisdall to be appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, but to his bitter disappointment he came up against the inflexible British reluctance, which endured for many years afterwards, to appoint an Irishman to this crucial office.
Tisdall retained the confidence of successive Lords Lieutenants, and, in 1777, despite his age and failing health, he was asked to resume his role as Government leader in the House of Commons: he agreed, but died at Spa, Belgium on 11 September the same year.
Recent media