Peter Burrowes (1753–8 November 1841) was an Irish barrister and politician. The grave of Peter Burrowes, Kensal Green Cemetery

Life

He was born in

Portarlington, County Laois Portarlington, historically called Cooletoodera (from ), is a town on the border of County Laois and County Offaly, Ireland. The River Barrow forms the border. The town was recorded in the 2016 census as having a population of 8,368. History ...

in 1753. At Trinity College, Dublin, which he entered in 1774,"Alumni Dublinenses : a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity College in the University of Dublin (1593–1860

George Dames Burtchaell George Dames Burtchaell, KC, MA, LLB, MRIA, JP (12 June 1853 – 18 August 1921) was an Irish genealogist. Education Burtchaell was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College, Dublin. Career *Barrister King's Inns, 1879 * KC 1918 ...

Thomas Ulick Sadleir Thomas Ulick Sadleir (1882–1957) was an Irish genealogist and heraldic expert. He was successively registrar of the Order of St Patrick, Deputy Ulster King of Arms and Acting Ulster King of Arms. Career Sadleir's first involvement with the of ...

p118: Dublin, Alex Thom and Co, 1935 he distinguished himself in the debates of the

College Historical Society The College Historical Society (CHS) – popularly referred to as The Hist – is a debating society at Trinity College Dublin. It was established within the college in 1770 and was inspired by the club formed by the philosopher Edmund ...

. While still a student at the Middle Temple, in 1784, he published a pamphlet on

Catholic Emancipation Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the combined United Kingdom in the late 18th century and early 19th century, that involved reducing and removing many of the restricti ...

, which introduced him to the notice of Flood and the other leading Irish patriots. In the following year he was called to the bar, where he rapidly acquired a good practice. In 1790, along with

Wolfe Tone Theobald Wolfe Tone, posthumously known as Wolfe Tone ( ga, Bhulbh Teón; 20 June 176319 November 1798), was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members in Belfast and Dublin of the United Irishmen, a republican soci ...

and others, he founded a society in Dublin for the discussion of literary and political subjects. In a duel which he fought at Kilkenny in 1794 with Somerset Butler, his life was only saved by the ball striking against some coppers which he happened to have in his waistcoat pocket. Though he did not share in the more extreme views of the

United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional refor ...

, he was a zealous supporter of all the most important measures of reform. Along with thirteen other king's counsel, on 9 December 1798, he protested against the proposals for a union with Great Britain, and after being elected member for

Enniscorthy Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. At the 2016 census, the population of the town and environs was 11,381. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountain ...

in February, 1800 he continued, as long as the Irish parliament existed, persistently to oppose the measure. In 1803 he acted as the counsel of

Robert Emmet Robert Emmet (4 March 177820 September 1803) was an Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attempt to overthrow the British Crown and Prote ...

, and in 1811 he was employed to defend the catholic delegates. From 1821 to 1835 he was commissioner of the insolvent debtors court. He died in London on 8 November 1841. He is buried in

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

to the north-east of the main chapel.

References

External links

* http://www.libraryireland.com/biography/PeterBurrowes.php {{DEFAULTSORT:Burrowes, Peter 1753 births 1841 deaths 19th-century Irish people Irish barristers Irish duellists Politicians from County Laois People from County Laois People from Portarlington, County Laois Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Wexford constituencies Irish MPs 1798–1800 Alumni of Trinity College Dublin