Samuel Dopping facts for kids

Samuel Dopping (1671 – 17 September 1720) was an important politician from Ireland. He lived during a time when Ireland was closely connected to England. Samuel Dopping spent many years working in the Irish Parliament, helping to make laws and represent the people.

Who Was Samuel Dopping?

Samuel Dopping was born in 1671. He was part of the "Anglo-Irish" community, which means his family had English roots but lived in Ireland for a long time. He became a well-known figure in Irish politics during the late 1600s and early 1700s. He was known for his strong beliefs and for speaking up for what he thought was right.

Early Steps in Politics

Samuel Dopping began his political career as a Member of Parliament. A Member of Parliament (often called an MP) is a person elected to represent a group of people in a country's law-making body. In Dopping's time, this was the Irish House of Commons. This was like a big meeting place where elected people discussed and made laws for Ireland.

Representing Armagh Borough

From 1695 to 1715, Samuel Dopping was the MP for Armagh Borough. This meant he represented the people living in and around the town of Armagh in the Irish Parliament. During these years, he worked hard to serve his community and help shape the laws of Ireland.

A Voice for Ireland in Parliament

In 1711, Samuel Dopping was given a special role. He became a member of the Privy Council of Ireland. This was a group of important advisors to the King or Queen, helping with big decisions about Ireland.

When he first started in parliament, Dopping was part of a group called the Whigs. The Whigs were a political group with certain ideas about how the country should be run. However, as time went on, Samuel Dopping started to make his own decisions more often. He didn't always follow what the Whig group wanted.

He became especially known for two things:

• He strongly supported the Church of Ireland. This was the main church in Ireland at the time, and he wanted to protect its role.
• He was against the British Privy Council changing Irish laws. The British Privy Council was a powerful group in England. They sometimes changed laws that the Irish Parliament had already agreed upon. Samuel Dopping believed that Ireland should have more control over its own laws. He wanted the Irish Parliament to have the final say.

Later Years and Dublin University

After representing Armagh Borough for many years, Samuel Dopping changed constituencies. From 1715 until his death, he represented Dublin University. This meant he was the MP for the famous university in Dublin. He continued his work in parliament, standing up for his beliefs, until he passed away on September 17, 1720.