Edward Pennefather facts for kids

Edward Pennefather was an important Irish lawyer and judge who lived in the 1800s. He held a very high position as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, which meant he was the main judge in one of Ireland's most important courts.

Early Life and Becoming a Lawyer

Edward Pennefather was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, on October 22, 1774. His father, William Pennefather, was a member of the Irish Parliament. Edward went to school in Clonmel and then studied at Trinity College Dublin. After finishing his studies, he became a lawyer in 1795. He lived in a place called Rathsallagh House in County Wicklow.

Edward had a brother named Richard Pennefather who was also a very respected judge. Richard served as a judge for nearly 40 years! Both Edward and Richard were known as excellent lawyers, especially in cases dealing with fairness and property law.

Edward was considered a very talented lawyer. He was especially good at understanding complex legal rules and also at handling cases where someone felt their reputation had been unfairly damaged by something written or said. For example, in 1816, he was a lead lawyer in a famous case called Bruce v. Grady. This case was about a poem that caused a big argument between two people and involved money. The court had to decide if the poem had unfairly harmed someone's reputation.

Important Legal Roles

Edward Pennefather became a King's Counsel by 1816. This title meant he was one of the most senior and respected lawyers. He held several important legal jobs for the government:

• In 1830, he was briefly the Attorney-General for Ireland, which is the chief legal advisor to the government.
• In the same year, he became a Serjeant-at-law (Ireland), another high legal position. He moved up to Second Serjeant and then First Serjeant in the next two years.
• He was also the Solicitor-General for Ireland twice, in 1835 and again in 1841. This role also involves advising the government on legal matters.

In 1841, Edward Pennefather was given the top job as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. He stayed in this important role until 1846, when he retired because of his health.

His Time as a Judge

As a judge, Edward Pennefather was known for being very smart and a great lawyer. However, some people felt that his health and age made it harder for him to be as effective as a judge as he had been as a lawyer.

One of the most famous cases he oversaw was the trial of Daniel O'Connell in 1843. O'Connell was a very important political leader in Ireland. During this trial, some people thought that Judge Pennefather was unfair to O'Connell and seemed to be on the side of the prosecution rather than being a neutral judge. Later, a higher court in London looked at the case and found some mistakes in how the trial was handled. This made some people question the fairness of the trial.

In another related trial, there was a strange incident where the Attorney General, Sir Thomas Cusack-Smith, got very angry and challenged one of the defense lawyers to a duel! Judge Pennefather quickly stepped in and told the Attorney General that someone in his position should not behave that way. The Attorney General then agreed to drop the challenge.

Family Life

In 1806, Edward Pennefather married Susannah Darby. They had ten children together. Some of their children also became notable:

• Their son Richard became the Auditor General of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
• Their daughter Ellen married James Thomas O'Brien, who became a Bishop.
• Their daughter Dorothea, also known as Dora, married James Stopford, 4th Earl of Courtown. Two of Dora's sons became famous military leaders: General Sir Frederick Stopford and Admiral Walter Stopford.