St Leger St Leger, 1st Viscount Doneraile, 2nd creation, (born St Leger Aldworth; died 15 May 1787), was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer, made infamous by his conviction for assaulting a Catholic priest, and for challenging the prosecuting counsel, the barrister John Philpot Curran, to a duel.
He was the son of Richard Aldworth by his wife Elizabeth St Leger, a daughter of Arthur St Leger, 1st Viscount Doneraile (d.1727), of the first creation (1703) of that title. [1]
He was given the name of St Leger Aldworth at birth, but he legally changed his surname to St Leger on 9 May 1767, so that he become known as St Leger St Leger, as a condition of succeeding to the Doneraile estates in County Cork upon the death of his childless uncle, Hayes St Leger, 4th Viscount Doneraile. [2] Like several other members of his family, he served in the Irish House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Doneraile, sitting between 1749 and 1776. [1]
On 2 July 1776, St Leger was created Baron Doneraile in the Peerage of Ireland. On 5 January 1785, the title previously held by his maternal relations was recreated for his benefit so that so that St Leger St Leger is known as the 1st Viscount Doneraile. 2nd creation. [2]
In 1780, St Leger found himself in the County Cork Assizes facing John Philpot Curran, counsel for an elderly Catholic priest. Father Neale had announced the excommunication of an adulterous parishioner who happened be the brother of St Leger's mistress. St Leger rode to the priest’s house and demanded that he withdraw the sanction. When the priest explained that it could be lifted only by his bishop, St Leger thrashed him with his horsewhip. He also whipped the ageing housekeeper who interceded on the priest's behalf. [3] St Leger would have acted in the belief that no jury, which under the existing Penal Laws would be all Protestant, would rule against him in a suit pressed by a Catholic. In cross examination Curran demolished the credibility of Doneraile's witnesses and persuaded the jury to set aside sectarian consideration and find for his client. The jury awarded Father Neale 30 guineas. St Leger challenged Curran to a duel, in which St Leger fired and missed. Curran declined to fire. [4] [5]
He married Mary Barry, the daughter of Redmond Barry, and together they had six children, including Hayes St Leger.
Sir William St LegerPC (Ire) (1586–1642) was an Anglo-Irish landowner, administrator and soldier, who began his military career in the Eighty Years' War against Habsburg Spain. He settled in Ireland in 1624, where he was MP for County Cork in two Irish parliaments and Lord President of Munster. During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, he played a leading part in suppressing the rising in Munster before dying in 1642.
Viscount Doneraile is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, both times for members of the St Leger family.
Major-General Anthony St Leger was a successful soldier, a Member of Parliament for Grimsby, and the founder of the St. Leger Stakes horse race.
The St. Leger family is an old Anglo-Irish family with Norman roots, that in some cases transformed into Sallinger or Sallenger. It is first recorded in England as lord of the manor of Ulcombe in Kent. John St. Leger of Ulcombe was Sheriff of Kent in 1430.
Doneraile, historically Dunnerail, is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is on the R581 regional road 8 km (5.0 mi) east of the N20 road, which runs from Limerick to Cork. It is about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Mallow town. It is on the River Awbeg, a branch of the Blackwater. Doneraile is part of the Cork East Dáil constituency.
John Philpot Curran was an Irish orator, politician, wit, and lawyer renowned for employing his skills in defence of civil and political liberty. He first won popular acclaim in 1780, as the only lawyer in his circuit willing to represent a Catholic priest horsewhipped by the Anglo-Irish Lord. In the 1790s he was celebrated as a champion of Catholic emancipation and reform in the Irish Parliament and as defence counsel in court for United Irishmen facing charges of sedition and treason. He was vocal in his opposition to Britain’s incorporation of Ireland in a United Kingdom.
Elizabeth Aldworth (1693/1695–1773/1775), born Elizabeth St Leger, was known in her time as "The Lady Freemason" and was the first recorded woman to be initiated into Regular Freemasonry.
Barry Yelverton, 1st Viscount Avonmore, PC (Ire) KC, was an Irish judge and politician, who gave his name to Yelverton's Act 1782, which effectively repealed Poynings' Law and thus restored the independence of the Parliament of Ireland. This achievement was destroyed by the Act of Union 1800, which Yelverton supported. By doing so, he gravely harmed his reputation for integrity, which had already been damaged by his leading role in the conviction and execution for treason of the United Irishman William Orr, which is now seen as a major miscarriage of justice.
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of County Cork.
Hugh Carleton MRIA, 1st Viscount Carleton, PC (I), SL was an Irish politician and judge.
John Lysaght, 1st Baron Lisle of Mountnorth, in the County of Cork, was an Irish peer in the Peerage of Ireland and a politician.
Sir Warham St LegerPC (Ire) was an English soldier, administrator, and politician, who sat in the Irish House of Commons in the Parliament of 1585–1586.
Arthur Blennerhassett KC was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, politician and judge. He is remembered mainly for killing John St. Leger in a duel.
The High Sheriff of County Cork was the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Cork. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became an annual appointment following the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his judicial importance, the sheriff had ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court Writs.
Arthur St Leger, 1st Viscount Doneraile was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer.
Arthur St Leger, 2nd Viscount Doneraile was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer.
Hayes St Leger, 2nd Viscount Doneraile was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer.
Hayes St Leger, 3rd Viscount Doneraile was an Anglo-Irish peer.
Hayes St Leger, 4th Viscount Doneraile was an Anglo-Irish peer who was a member of the British House of Lords as an Irish representative peer between 1855 and his death.
Sir John St Leger (1674–1743) was an Irish barrister, politician and judge. He belonged to a prominent aristocratic family from County Cork. He was not highly regarded for his legal ability, and it was believed by his contemporaries that he owed his professional success to his influential family connections. As a judge, he is mainly remembered for hearing, with two of his colleagues, the celebrated case of Sherlock v. Annesley, which caused a major Constitutional crisis, and led to the three judges being briefly imprisoned for contempt of Parliament.