James Dennis, 1st Baron Tracton PC (1721–15 June 1782) was an Irish politician and judge.

Background

Dennis was the son of John Dennis, a timber merchant of

Kinsale Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork (city), Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a populatio ...

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

, and Anne Bullen, daughter of William Bullen (d.1735), of Southwater and Bullen's Cove; Burgess of

.thepeerage.com James Dennis, 1st and last Baron Tracton
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Political and judicial career

Dennis was educated at

Trinity College, Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Univ ...

and became a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

. He was the legal advisor to

Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon, Privy Council of Ireland, PC (Ire) (1682 – 27 December 1764), was an Anglo-Irish politician who served as the speaker of the Irish House of Commons from 1733 to 1756. A prominent Member of parliament, parlia ...

, who also became a close personal friend. He later sat as a member of the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

for

Rathcormack Rathcormack or Rathcormac () is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. It is 6 km north of Sligo town on the N15 road between Benbulbin Benbulbin (), sometimes Benbulben or Ben Bulben, is a steep-sided and flat-topped mountain in County ...

between 1761 and 1768 and for

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the Munster Blackwater, River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long ...

between 1768 and 1777: his speeches in the House are said to have displayed his profound learning. He also served as

Serjeant-at-law (Ireland) This is a list of lawyers who held the rank of serjeant-at-law at the Bar of Ireland. Origins of the office of serjeant The first recorded serjeant was Roger Owen, who was appointed between 1261 and 1266, although the title itself was not us ...

and as

Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning judge) of the English Exchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who pres ...

in Ireland. He was sworn of the

Irish Privy Council His or Her Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland, commonly called the Privy Council of Ireland, Irish Privy Council, or in earlier centuries the Irish Council, was the institution within the Dublin Castle administration which exercised formal execut ...

in 1777 and, at Lord Shannon's urging, was raised to the

Peerage of Ireland The peerage of Ireland consists of those Peerage, titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lordship of Ireland, Lord or Monarchy of Ireland, King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

as Baron Tracton, of Tracton Abbey in the

County of Cork County Cork () 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 are Mallow, Macroom, Mid ...

, on 4 January 1781. He was a founding member of the popular drinking club,

The Monks of the Screw The Monks of the Screw was the name of an Irish drinking club active in the period 1779–1789. It was also called the Order of St. Patrick. The "screw" referred to the corkscrew required to open a bottle of wine. Ethos and foundation According ...

. Elrington Ball praised him as a man of great learning, perhaps the most intellectually gifted Irish judge of his time, and a man who was almost universally liked.Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' London John Murray 1926 pp.164-5

Personal life

In 1769, Dennis married Elizabeth Pigott, daughter of Emanuel Pigott of Chetwynd House,

, but he died childless in June 1782. The barony died with him, but he left his estates to his two nephews, who in accordance with his will changed their surname to 'Dennis' and paid an annual jointure of £1,800 to their uncle's widow. His nephews were the two sons of Thomas Swift (1711–1803), of Lynn,

County Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...

, who had married his only sister, Frances. Thomas Swift was the son of Meade Swift (b.1692) J.P., of Lynn, a first cousin of the famous

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...

and Sir Richard Meade (1697–1744) 3rd Bt., father of the 1st

Earl of Clanwilliam Earl of Clanwilliam is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1776 for John Meade, 1st Viscount Clanwilliam. The Meade family descends from Sir John Meade, who represented Dublin University and County Tipperary in the Irish Hous ...

. Lord Tracton left his estates in

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

to his first nephew, the Rev. Meade Swift-Dennis (1753–1837), who married Delia, daughter of Morley Saunders, of Saunders Grove,

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606 in Ireland, 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces ...

, and Martha, daughter of

John Stratford, 1st Earl of Aldborough John Stratford, 1st Earl of Aldborough (1697/169829 May 1777) was an Irish peer and politician and member of the Noble House of Stratford. Background John was born either on 10 August 1697,Stratford, Gerald "A History of the Stratford Family" ...

. Baron Tracton left his estates of Tracton Abbey,

and Temple Hill House,

County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...

to his second nephew, John Swift-Dennis (d.1830), M.P. for

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tracton, James Dennis, 1st Baron 1721 births 1782 deaths Barons in the Peerage of Ireland Peers of Ireland created by George III Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Cork constituencies Members of the Irish House of Lords Chief Barons of the Irish Exchequer Serjeants-at-law (Ireland) People from Kinsale Alumni of Trinity College Dublin