Eaton Stannard facts for kids

Eaton Stannard was a well-known lawyer and politician in Ireland.

Eaton Stannard (1685–1755) was an important lawyer and politician in Ireland during the 1700s. He was popular as the Recorder of Dublin, which was like being a city judge. He also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Midleton for many years. Today, he is mostly remembered as a close friend of the famous writer Jonathan Swift. Swift's very last known letter was written to Eaton Stannard.

Who Was Eaton Stannard?

Eaton Stannard was born in County Cork, Ireland. His father was George Stannard, and his mother was Martha Aldworth. His family was connected to many other important landowning families in Ireland. Eaton Stannard himself married his cousin, Elizabeth Travers, linking their families even more.

Eaton Stannard's Career

Eaton Stannard started his studies at Trinity College Dublin in 1702. He later became a lawyer in 1714. By 1726, he was a King's Counsel, which is a senior lawyer who advises the Crown.

In 1727, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Midleton. He stayed an MP until he died. He worked very hard as an MP, even though some people said he wasn't a great speaker.

A Skilled Lawyer

Despite not being a famous speaker, Eaton Stannard was a very good lawyer. He gave a strong performance in a famous court case called the Annesley peerage case in 1745. This real-life case actually helped inspire the famous novel Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.

In 1733, he became the Recorder of Dublin. This role was like being a chief judge for the city of Dublin. He held this job until 1750. He also acted as a judge for special court sessions called assizes in 1741. However, he never became a judge in the higher courts.

Friendship with Jonathan Swift

Eaton Stannard was a good friend of the famous writer Jonathan Swift. Swift thought highly of Stannard and trusted him a lot. Swift even named Stannard as one of the people to manage his will after he died.

In 1734, Swift, who usually didn't care much about politics, asked Stannard for a favor. He wanted Stannard to help a Mr. Gorges get elected to Parliament. Swift did this simply because Gorges was the brother of a friend Swift admired.

Swift's very last known letter was written to Eaton Stannard on June 8, 1741. In the letter, Swift asked Stannard to help his young cousin, William Swift, who was just starting his law career.

Becoming a Serjeant-at-Law

In 1754, Eaton Stannard was chosen to be a "prime serjeant." This was a very important legal position. However, this decision was not popular with the public. He replaced another lawyer named Anthony Malone, who was well-liked.

Many people were angry about Malone being removed. Even though Stannard had a lot of experience, people felt he wasn't as good a lawyer as Malone. The public was so upset that they even burned a dummy of Stannard in the streets.

However, this public anger did not last long. Eaton Stannard was almost 70 years old and became ill in the spring of 1755. He died at his home in St Stephen's Green, Dublin.

Family Life

Eaton Stannard and his wife, Elizabeth Travers, had several children. Their children included a son named John, who was his heir, and another son named George. They also had a daughter named Catherine.

John Stannard had two daughters who inherited his property:

• Cassandra, who married Charles Eustace in 1801. They had five children.
• Alicia, who married George Powell but had no children.

Because Cassandra married into the Eustace family, the Stannard family lands in County Cork passed to the Eustace family. George Stannard started another branch of the family that lived at The Priory in County Cork.

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  Eaton Stannard was a well-known lawyer and politician in Ireland.