Friday 20 July 2007

Obituary of Tom Lefroy in 'The Illustrated London News' 1869

My dear friend Linda has sent me a copy of The Illustrated London News, May 15, 1869 that contains an obituary of Thomas Langlois Lefroy. Hence, I put it here, though there's nothing new that we have not learned so far (it's the official obit anyway, of course it's going to be about all things 'good' and non-controversial). Thanks a lot, Linda! The spelling &c are as it is in the News.


LORD CHIEF JUSTICE LEFROY

The Right Hon. Thomas Langlois Lefroy, LL.D., P.C., of Carrickglass, in the county of Longford, late Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, whose death has just occurred, was the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Lefroy, by his wife, Miss Anne Gardiner. He was born in 1776; and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he received the gold medal in 1795. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1797, where he soon rose to eminence, and was a leader in the Courts of Chancery fully twenty-five years. He was made a K.C. in 1815, and a Serjeant in 1818. He was elected M.P. for the University of Dublin in 1830, which he continued to represent up to the year 1841, when he accepted a seat on the bench in the Court of Exchequer, which he retained till 1852. He then became Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench in Ireland, which position he held with consummate ability until his retirement, in 1866. Calm, dignified, learned, and courteous, a profound lawyer and Christian gentleman, Chief Justice Lefroy will long be remembered as one of the greatest lawyers who have adorned the Irish Bench during the last half century. He married, in 1799, Mary, only daughter and heir of Jeffry Paul, Esq. of Silver Spring, in the county of Wexford, by whom he had issue four sons and three daughters; of whom the eldest son, Anthony Lefroy, LL.D., is the present M.P. for Dublin University. The Lefroys are of Flemish extraction, and immigrated to England in the time of the Duke of Alva's persecutions. The first who settled in Ireland A.D. 1569, was Anthony Lefroy. He was direct ancestor of the Chief Justice just deceased.


Pic: Chief Justice Thomas Langlois Lefroy, 1855 by W.H. Mote



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