James Bernard (8 December 1729 – 7 July 1790) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

politician and ancestor of the

Earls of Bandon Earl of Bandon was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Francis Bernard, 1st Viscount Bandon. He had already been created Baron Bandon, of Bandon Bridge in the County of Cork, in 1793, Viscount Bandon, of Bandon Bridge ...

. He was the son of Major North Ludlow Bernard and his first wife Rose Echlin, daughter of John Echlin of Ardquin, County Down, and niece of Sir Henry Echlin, 1st Baronet. He was the grandson of Francis Bernard,

Solicitor-General for Ireland The Solicitor-General for Ireland was the holder of an Irish and then (from the Act of Union 1800) United Kingdom government office. The holder was a deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. On ra ...

, Member of Parliament and judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland), and his wife Alice Ludlow. Bernard represented Cork County in the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fran ...

from 1781 until his death in 1790. He married Esther Smyth, youngest daughter of Percy Smyth of Headborough, son of Sir Percy Smyth of Ballynatray, Co. Waterford, and his wife Elizabeth Jervois, and widow of Robert Gookin of Courtmacsherry,

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

. They had five daughters and a son, Francis, who was elevated to the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...

as Earl of Bandon. His main residence was Castle Bernard, which he inherited from his uncle Francis. It was destroyed during the Irish War of Independence.Irish Times "Lady Bernard- obituary" June 19, 2010

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard, James 1729 births 1790 deaths 18th-century Irish politicians Politicians from County Cork Irish MPs 1776–1783 Irish MPs 1783–1790 Irish MPs 1790–1797 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Cork constituencies