Joseph Devonsher Jackson PC (23 June 1783 – 19 December 1857) 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 ...

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

MP in the

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and subsequently a High Court Judge.Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' p.355

Early career

He was the eldest son of Strettell Jackson of Peterborough,

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 ...

, a carrier by trade, and Mary Cossens.Bell, G.M. ''The Currency Question: an Examination of the Evidence on Banks of Issue'' p.73 He went to a private school run by a local clergyman. He attended

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, where he received the top honours every year, and attended the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

, before being called to the

Irish Bar The Bar of Ireland ( ga, Barra na hÉireann) is the professional association of barristers for Ireland, with over 2,000 members. It is based in the Law Library, with premises in Dublin and Cork. It is governed by the General Council of the Ba ...

in 1806. He built up a lucrative legal practice, and was able to pay off his father's debts when the family business failed. He was briefly involved in the linen manufacturing business run by his wife's brother Mr. Clarke, but he had little talent for the trade. As a young man, he was a passionate and evangelical

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

, active in attempting to convert Roman Catholics to his own faith; but as a judge, he was notably free of religious bias, despite the Queen's fears that he would prove to be a bigoted Orangeman.Ball p.295

Politician and judge

He was appointed the King's Second Serjeant for Ireland in 1835, and remained the Queen's Second Serjeant until 1841, although ironically his continuance in the office was against the expressed wishes of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

, who was concerned about his strong Protestant religious beliefs. He held the office of Chairman of County Londonderry

Quarter Sessions The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388 (extending also to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535). They were also established in ...

, which he resigned to seek election to Parliament. He was MP for Bandon from 1835–1841. He was a member of the Commons Select Committee on

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in 1840. On 10 November 1841 he was appointed

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 ...

. The Government greatly relied on his advice concerning Irish affairs. He was also made a member of the Privy Council of Ireland. This preferment had the effect of vacating his Parliamentary seat. Instead of seeking re-election in Bandon, Jackson stood for

Dublin University The University of Dublin ( ga, Ollscoil Átha Cliath), corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a university located in Dublin, Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dubl ...

. He represented that seat between 11 February 1842 and 9 September 1842. He was then appointed a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) 1842–1848. He resigned his Parliamentary seat by accepting the

Chiltern Hundreds The Chiltern Hundreds is an ancient administrative area in Buckinghamshire, England, composed of three " hundreds" and lying partially within the Chiltern Hills. "Taking the Chiltern Hundreds" refers to one of the legal fictions used to effect ...

, so he could take up the judicial post. As a judge, he was noted for compassion in criminal cases.

Personal life

Jackson was described as a "temperate" politician, but he was a reliable supporter of the

monarchy, constitution and church as well as the Union between Great Britain and Ireland, and a staunch opponent of

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

(who nicknamed him "Leather Lungs", due to his almost interminable speeches). He lived at Sutton Castle,

Howth Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes ...

, north of Dublin city, and also had an estate at Knockalisheen,

, which was the subject of litigation after his death.''Dixon v Rowan'' 1860 Irish Chancery Reports p.365 He married in 1811 Sarah Lucinda Clarke, ninth daughter of Benjamin Clarke of Cullenswood, County Dublin and Mary Read, but the couple had no children. His widow died on 30 November 1858. On his death, his estate was divided between his four sisters. He is buried at St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton.

References

*Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' London John Murray 1926 *Bell, G.M. ''"The Currency Question: an Examination of the Evidence on Banks of Issue"'' London Longman Orme Brown Green Longmans 1841 *Geoghegan, Patrick M. "Jackson, Joseph Devonsher" ''Cambridge Dictionary of Irish Biography'' *Smyth, Constantine Joseph ''"Chronicle of the Law Officers of Ireland"'' London Butterworth 1839 * ''Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Vol. I 1832-1885'', edited by Michael Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976) *

Notes

External links

*
Portrait of Jackson in the British Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Joseph Devonsher 1783 births 1857 deaths Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Cork constituencies (1801–1922) Irish Conservative Party MPs Members of the Privy Council of Ireland UK MPs 1835–1837 UK MPs 1837–1841 UK MPs 1841–1847 Solicitors-General for Ireland Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Dublin University Serjeants-at-law (Ireland) Burials at St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton