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Richard West (Lord Chancellor of Ireland)

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and his Dutch-born second wife Mary Scott (Maria Schotte); rumours that she was unfaithful to him seem to have no basis. They had two children, Richard junior, and Molly, who married John Williams. Richard West junior (1716- 1742) before his early death had made something of a name as a
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In November 1726 West became ill "with a great cold and fever", but since he was still only about thirty-five, and seemed to be responding well to treatment, his case was not thought to be serious; on 3 December however he unexpectedly died. Rumours that he was
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Mrs West's reputation also suffered from rumours, almost certainly false, that she was having an affair with her husband's secretary John Williams, later her son-in-law, and even wilder rumours that they had poisoned him. King
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mother Mary Scott had been a great heiress, and her father the Bishop in his own will had provided generously for all his children. Her husband on the other hand left "just enough to clear his debts in both countries".
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and according to the legal advice they received West's widow and children had no claim to his estate. What had become of the widow's own money is unclear, but it should certainly have been enough to live on: her
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in 1725: his speech for the prosecution was described as "masterly". Shortly afterwards he went to Ireland as Lord Chancellor, although it was said that he would have preferred to be
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Despite his severity against Roman Catholics, West was noted for charm and intelligence, and his early death was much mourned: his old friend
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His early death left his family in severe financial difficulty, especially as his father, who outlived him by a few months, left no
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continued. Despite the pension she fell on hard times and spent her last years as a dependent of
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As Lord Chancellor he gained a reputation for exceptional severity in the enforcement of the
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West was most unusual among judges in having a play produced while he was in office:
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he appeared to extend the operation of the Penal Laws to cover not only actual but
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at a by-election in 1721. At the 1722 general election he was returned as MP for
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in 1714 and became one of its leaders in a remarkably short time; he was made
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The Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal in Ireland
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Papists, the latter category including Protestants who married
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is said to have been something of a favourite of his uncle.
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Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Grampound
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An Inquiry into the Origins and Manner of Creating Peers
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A Discourse concerning Treasons and Bills of Attainder
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Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Bodmin
406:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. 395: 315:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. 304: 224:: he is still remembered for his friendship with 29:(c. 1691 – 3 December 1726) was an English 556: 152:trustees in favour of Catholics. In the case of 275:was persuaded to grant her a pension, which 211:West married Elizabeth Burnet, daughter of 17: 590:Members of the Privy Council of Ireland 403:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 312:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 115:Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield 105:, he made his reputation as one of the 557: 144:to discover secret (i.e. collusive) 47:Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton 230:Sonnet on the death of Richard West 13: 14: 611: 389: 178: 41:from 1721 to 1726. He served as 368:The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921 247:St. Ann's Church, Dawson Street 373: 360: 348: 335: 297: 187:, his translation of a French 45:from 1725 to 1726, succeeding 37:and politician who sat in the 1: 356:Lives of the Lord Chancellors 290: 52: 420:UK public library membership 329:UK public library membership 252: 89:in 1717. He was returned as 7: 585:Lord chancellors of Ireland 430:Parliament of Great Britain 10: 616: 537:Lord Chancellor of Ireland 43:Lord Chancellor of Ireland 543: 534: 526: 521: 507: 492:Member of Parliament for 490: 478: 464: 449:Member of Parliament for 447: 435: 428: 206: 72: 235: 370:John Murray London 1926 341:O'Flanagan J. Roderick 228:, celebrated in Gray's 468:Marquess of Hartington 412:10.1093/ref:odnb/29094 321:10.1093/ref:odnb/29094 191:, was produced at the 23: 580:British MPs 1722–1727 575:British MPs 1715–1722 530:The Viscount Midleton 381:The Judges in Ireland 345:2 volumes London 1870 85:and a Bencher of the 65:the poet. The future 21: 173:Archbishop of Armagh 91:Member of Parliament 366:Ball, F. Elrington 217:Bishop of Salisbury 522:Political offices 285:Dean of Gloucester 193:Drury Lane Theatre 127:Recorder of London 24: 22:A portrait of West 553: 552: 544:Succeeded by 508:Succeeded by 498:1722–1726 465:Succeeded by 455:1721–1722 443:Sir Charles Cooke 418:(Subscription or 327:(Subscription or 79:called to the Bar 57:West was born in 607: 527:Preceded by 479:Preceded by 436:Preceded by 426: 425: 423: 415: 399: 383: 377: 371: 364: 358: 352: 346: 339: 333: 332: 324: 308: 301: 154:Leymore v Bourke 103:House of Commons 39:House of Commons 615: 614: 610: 609: 608: 606: 605: 604: 555: 554: 549: 540: 532: 517: 513: 499: 497: 488: 486:Earl of Burford 484: 474: 470: 456: 454: 445: 441: 417: 394: 392: 387: 386: 378: 374: 365: 361: 353: 349: 340: 336: 326: 303: 302: 298: 293: 255: 238: 209: 181: 162:Roman Catholics 119:Lord Chancellor 75: 55: 12: 11: 5: 613: 603: 602: 597: 592: 587: 582: 577: 572: 567: 551: 550: 547:Thomas Wyndham 545: 542: 533: 528: 524: 523: 519: 518: 509: 506: 489: 480: 476: 475: 472:Humphry Morice 466: 463: 460:Hon. John West 446: 439:Hon. John West 437: 433: 432: 391: 390:External links 388: 385: 384: 372: 359: 347: 334: 295: 294: 292: 289: 254: 251: 237: 234: 213:Gilbert Burnet 208: 205: 180: 179:West as author 177: 140:, encouraging 121:on charges of 83:King's Counsel 74: 71: 63:Richard Glover 54: 51: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 612: 601: 598: 596: 593: 591: 588: 586: 583: 581: 578: 576: 573: 571: 568: 566: 563: 562: 560: 548: 539: 538: 531: 525: 520: 516: 512: 511:Isaac le Heup 505: 504: 503:Isaac le Heup 496: 495: 487: 483: 477: 473: 469: 462: 461: 453: 452: 444: 440: 434: 431: 427: 424: 421: 413: 409: 405: 404: 398: 382: 376: 369: 363: 357: 351: 344: 338: 330: 322: 318: 314: 313: 307: 300: 296: 288: 286: 282: 281:Josiah Tucker 278: 274: 268: 265: 260: 250: 248: 244: 233: 231: 227: 223: 218: 214: 204: 202: 198: 194: 190: 186: 176: 174: 170: 165: 163: 159: 155: 151: 147: 143: 139: 134: 132: 131:see of Armagh 128: 124: 120: 116: 112: 108: 104: 100: 96: 92: 88: 84: 80: 70: 68: 64: 60: 50: 48: 44: 40: 36: 32: 28: 20: 16: 565:1690s births 535: 515:John LaRoche 501: 491: 458: 448: 401: 393: 380: 375: 367: 362: 355: 350: 342: 337: 310: 299: 269: 256: 239: 229: 210: 200: 199:(1716 ) and 196: 184: 182: 169:Hugh Boulter 166: 158:constructive 157: 153: 135: 87:Inner Temple 76: 56: 27:Richard West 26: 25: 15: 570:1726 deaths 354:O'Flanagan 226:Thomas Gray 111:impeachment 559:Categories 541:1725–1726 422:required.) 331:required.) 291:References 249:, Dublin. 150:Protestant 138:Penal Laws 123:corruption 53:Background 35:playwright 482:John Legh 451:Grampound 277:George II 253:Aftermath 142:informers 101:. In the 95:Grampound 77:West was 33:, judge, 31:barrister 273:George I 243:poisoned 203:(1719). 107:managers 189:tragedy 109:of the 500:With: 494:Bodmin 457:With: 416: 325: 283:, the 207:Family 185:Hecuba 171:, the 146:trusts 117:, the 99:Bodmin 73:Career 59:London 379:Ball 264:Dutch 236:Death 259:will 222:poet 93:for 67:poet 408:doi 317:doi 148:by 113:of 561:: 400:. 309:. 287:. 232:. 215:, 164:. 49:. 414:. 410:: 323:. 319::

Index


barrister
playwright
House of Commons
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton
London
Richard Glover
poet
called to the Bar
King's Counsel
Inner Temple
Member of Parliament
Grampound
Bodmin
House of Commons
managers
impeachment
Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield
Lord Chancellor
corruption
Recorder of London
see of Armagh
Penal Laws
informers
trusts
Protestant
Roman Catholics
Hugh Boulter
Archbishop of Armagh

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