William Dawson, 1st Viscount Carlow facts for kids
William Henry Dawson, 1st Viscount Carlow (who died on August 22, 1779) was an important Anglo-Irish politician and a member of the nobility, known as a peer. He played a big role in Irish politics during his time.
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Who Was William Henry Dawson?
William Henry Dawson was born to Ephraim Dawson and Anne Preston. His father, Ephraim, was from a place called Queen's County in Ireland. Anne Preston was the daughter and only heir of Samuel Preston.
Dawson's Political Career
William Henry Dawson was a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years. An MP is someone elected to represent people in a country's government.
Serving in the Irish House of Commons
From 1733 to 1760, Dawson was an MP for a town called Portarlington. He served in the Irish House of Commons, which was like one of the main parts of the Irish government back then.
Later, in 1761, he was chosen to represent Queen's County (now County Laois). He held this position until 1768. After that, he went back to representing Portarlington from 1769 to 1770.
Becoming a Peer: Baron and Viscount
On May 29, 1770, William Henry Dawson was given a special honor. He was made a Baron, which is a title in the peerage (a system of noble ranks). His new title was Baron Dawson of Dawson's Court in the Peerage of Ireland.
With this new title, he moved from the House of Commons to the Irish House of Lords. The House of Lords was another important part of the Irish government, usually for people with noble titles.
He received an even higher honor on July 24, 1776, when he was made Viscount Carlow. This was also a title within the Peerage of Ireland.
Governor of Queen's County
Besides his work as an MP and a peer, Dawson also served as a Governor of Queen's County. He held this important local leadership role from 1750 until he passed away.
Family Life
On December 8, 1737, William Henry Dawson married Mary Damer. Mary was the daughter of Joseph Damer and the sister of Joseph Damer, who later became the 1st Earl of Dorchester.
William and Mary had a large family with five sons and three daughters. When William Henry Dawson died, his eldest son, John Dawson, took over his noble titles.
