Date of Birth: 01/01/1823
Place of Birth: County Kilkenny, Ireland
Date of Death: 09/06/1879
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
05 Dec 1877 |
09 Jun 1879 |
1 year 6 months 5 days |
Life Appointment under the Constitution Act: Date of Writ of Summons 29 October 1877. |
| Member for Argyle |
28 Dec 1874 |
12 Oct 1877 |
2 years 9 months 15 days |
|
| Member for Argyle |
27 May 1872 |
28 Nov 1874 |
2 years 6 months 2 days |
|
| Attorney General |
15 May 1872 |
10 Nov 1873 |
1 year 5 months 27 days |
|
| Member for Argyle |
04 Mar 1872 |
14 May 1872 |
2 months 11 days |
|
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 |
15 Nov 1871 |
01 Feb 1872 |
2 months 18 days |
|
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 |
12 Aug 1870 |
22 Mar 1871 |
7 months 11 days |
|
| Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 |
11 Aug 1870 |
03 Nov 1870 |
2 months 24 days |
|
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 |
02 Feb 1870 |
22 Feb 1870 |
21 days |
|
| Member for Argyle |
13 Dec 1869 |
03 Feb 1872 |
2 years 1 month 22 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
13 Dec 1869 |
12 Oct 1877 |
7 years 10 months |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
03 Sep 1861 |
19 Nov 1863 |
2 years 2 months 17 days |
Life Appointments under the Constitution Act: Date of Writ of Summons 2 September 1861. |
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (Barrister). Educated at Kilkenny College. Employed as a journalist and became a protege of Charles Gavan Duffy in the Young Ireland movement. Became the editor of the nationalist newspaper, Galway Vindicator, in 1848 and subsequently the editor of Duffy's 'Nation'. Was briefly imprisoned for nationalist activities. Emigrated to New South Wales because to pursue a legal career. Arrived in New South Wales in 1853 and began work on Henry Parkes' 'Empire' and was associated with the liberal movement. (Sir Henry Parkes was in the first to sixteenth Parliaments and was Premier six times.) Broke with Parkes in 1873. Admitted to the New South Wales Bar on 16 October 1855. He became Crown Prosecutor and Commissoner of the Court of Claims in 1857 at £500 per annum. His appointment was reviewed in 1859 and from 1860 to 1867 he worked mainly as a criminal lawyer. From 1868, he was a speciaist in common and commercial law. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1873. Successful as a squatter and became wealthy.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Michael, a farmer, and Mary, nee Joyce. Married (1) Ellen Mary Connolly on 1 May 1858 at Parramatta and had issue, 4 sons and 5 daughters. Married (2) to Marion Daintry on 22 April 1875 in Sydney and had issue, 1 daughter. Roman Catholic.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, volume three;
Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales 1856-1901
