142:
527:
432:: until then he had the name of being a "dull, heavy lawyer", an uninspiring though "safe" MP, and a man of mediocre intelligence, who was painfully conscious of his rather humble origins. Even the Government which chose him, while praising him as a good lawyer and an honest man, was rather doubtful that he had the necessary strength of character to be an effective Lord Chancellor, while the English Bench reacted to his appointment with general ridicule.
534:
22:
357:, the son of James Hewitt and Mary Urwin. The judge's mother was Hannah Lewis. In a class-conscious age, his background was something of a handicap, and his "small-town" manners were the subject of unkind comments throughout his life. Hewitt used his influence with the
442:"He does his business very ably and expeditiously and to the general satisfaction of suitors and practicers in this country, where he is much respected and a very popular character and is, in his public and private deportment, a most worthy, honest amiable man."
842:
500:
and
Elizabeth Beck, whom he married in 1766: her youth and beauty aroused much admiration in Ireland. By Ambrosia, he had one further son and two daughters. He was succeeded by his eldest son,
706:
435:
They were quickly proved wrong: within two years of his arrival in
Ireland, Lord Lifford was earning the highest praises as a judge. As his colleague in the Irish Government
242:
457:
jurisdiction, was notoriously slow and inefficient; it had been described earlier in the century as being in a state of "confusion and disorder beyond remedy").
558:
Dexter: A vulture Proper wings inverted gorged with a plain collar Sable thereon three bezants; Sinister: A griffin Proper wings elevated gorged as the dexter.
39:
837:
86:
822:
58:
65:
817:
852:
420:
for 1761 to 1766. He was not highly regarded as a
Parliamentarian: his fellow MPs complained that his speeches were almost inaudible.
72:
857:
832:
812:
54:
721:
417:
213:
445:
His efficiency in doing business was such that it was said that virtually all equity litigation in his time was diverted to
827:
626:
847:
773:
689:
501:
493:
201:
105:
436:
361:
to secure office for his brother, William Hewitt (1719–1781), as a commissioner for the sale of ceded lands in the
177:
79:
742:
730:
464:, fondly recalled "the great Lord Lifford" after his death, and cited him as a model for other judges to follow.
262:
229:
43:
450:
697:
669:
446:
189:
141:
676:
429:
386:
331:
156:
738:
358:
258:
208:
481:
132:
472:
Lord
Lifford married firstly Mary Rhys Williams, daughter of the Rev. Rhys (or Price) Williams of
32:
496:. She died in 1765. His second wife was Ambrosia Bayley, daughter of the Rev. Charles Bayley of
454:
489:
807:
802:
717:
413:
124:
8:
461:
362:
350:
750:
580:
508:
473:
390:
402:
385:. Rising quickly through the legal profession, his career climaxed when he was made
763:
710:
246:
585:. Vol. 2. London: John Murray. pp. 155–158, 162, 173–176, 186, 215–216.
526:
485:
796:
782:
439:(not a man normally given to speaking well of others) wrote to a friend-
327:
354:
484:, in 1749, by whom he had four sons, including James, his heir, John,
389:
in 1767, a post he held until his death in 1789. He was raised to the
843:
Members of the
Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
546:
On a stump of a tree, with one branch growing thereon, an owl Proper.
533:
497:
382:
378:
21:
343:
398:
374:
346:
477:
405:, in 1768, and was further honoured when he was made
552:
Gules a chevron engrailed between three owls Argent.
520:Coat of arms of James Hewitt, 1st Viscount Lifford
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
794:
579:Ball, F. Elrington (Francis Elrington) (1926).
349:, William Hewitt (1683–1747), who was born in
627:"Hewitt, James (1712-89), of Alveston, Warws"
460:Barristers who practised in his court, like
423:
330:politician, lawyer and judge. He served as
140:
612:
610:
608:
606:
604:
602:
600:
169:24 November 1767 – 28 April 1789
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
838:Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
449:(this may have been partly because the
326:(28 April 1712 – 28 April 1789) was an
823:Peers of Ireland created by George III
795:
597:
578:
504:(1750–1830). Ambrosia died in 1807.
428:Lord Lifford made his reputation as
409:in 1781, also in the Irish peerage.
55:"James Hewitt, 1st Viscount Lifford"
44:adding citations to reliable sources
15:
818:Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland
13:
853:Members of Parliament for Coventry
649:Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage
532:
525:
502:James Hewitt, 2nd Viscount Lifford
324:James Hewitt, 1st Viscount Lifford
14:
869:
858:People from the City of Carlisle
582:The judges in Ireland, 1221–1921
20:
813:18th-century Anglo-Irish people
494:Court of King's Bench (Ireland)
31:needs additional citations for
641:
629:. History of Parliament Online
619:
1:
507:He lived at Belvedere House,
337:
833:Justices of the King's Bench
590:
492:(1754–1794), justice of the
7:
828:Lord chancellors of Ireland
698:Parliament of Great Britain
381:. By 1742, he had become a
10:
874:
677:Lord Chancellor of Ireland
572:
430:Lord Chancellor of Ireland
387:Lord Chancellor of Ireland
373:Hewitt first worked as an
332:Lord Chancellor of Ireland
157:Lord Chancellor of Ireland
780:
770:
761:
756:
749:
739:Hon. Henry Seymour-Conway
735:
715:
703:
696:
683:
674:
666:
661:
467:
368:
359:first Rockingham ministry
317:
309:
293:
285:
277:
272:
268:
259:Hon. Henry Seymour-Conway
252:
236:
219:
207:
195:
183:
173:
162:
155:
151:
139:
122:
482:Archdeacon of Carmarthen
453:, which had a competing
424:Character and Reputation
342:Hewitt was the son of a
726:1761–1766
514:
537:
530:
511:and later Stillorgan.
848:British MPs 1761–1768
564:Be Just And Fear Not
536:
529:
228:Serving with
718:Member of Parliament
437:John Hely-Hutchinson
414:Member of Parliament
209:Member of Parliament
129:The Viscount Lifford
125:The Right Honourable
40:improve this article
690:The Lord Fitzgibbon
688:Title next held by
521:
462:John Philpot Curran
363:British West Indies
334:from 1767 to 1789.
297:Mary Rhys Williams
751:Peerage of Ireland
743:Hon. Andrew Archer
731:Hon. Andrew Archer
662:Political offices
538:
531:
519:
474:Stapleford Abbotts
451:Court of Exchequer
391:Peerage of Ireland
313:Lawyer, Politician
263:Hon. Andrew Archer
230:Hon. Andrew Archer
791:
790:
771:Succeeded by
736:Succeeded by
684:Succeeded by
616:Ball (1926) p.157
570:
569:
403:County of Donegal
321:
320:
305:
300:
116:
115:
108:
90:
865:
764:Viscount Lifford
711:Samuel Greatheed
704:Preceded by
667:Preceded by
659:
658:
653:
652:
645:
639:
638:
636:
634:
623:
617:
614:
586:
522:
518:
407:Viscount Lifford
304:(m.1766, d.1807)
303:
302:Ambrosia Bayley
299:(m.1749, d.1765)
298:
273:Personal details
255:
247:Samuel Greatheed
239:
224:
198:
186:
167:
144:
120:
119:
111:
104:
100:
97:
91:
89:
48:
24:
16:
873:
872:
868:
867:
866:
864:
863:
862:
793:
792:
786:
776:
767:
745:
741:
727:
725:
713:
709:
692:
687:
680:
672:
657:
656:
647:
646:
642:
632:
630:
625:
624:
620:
615:
598:
593:
575:
517:
470:
426:
412:He was elected
371:
340:
301:
261:
253:
245:
237:
232:
225:
220:
211:
202:John FitzGibbon
196:
184:
168:
163:
147:
135:
130:
127:
112:
101:
95:
92:
49:
47:
37:
25:
12:
11:
5:
871:
861:
860:
855:
850:
845:
840:
835:
830:
825:
820:
815:
810:
805:
789:
788:
778:
777:
772:
769:
760:
754:
753:
747:
746:
737:
734:
714:
705:
701:
700:
694:
693:
685:
682:
673:
670:The Lord Bowes
668:
664:
663:
655:
654:
640:
618:
595:
594:
592:
589:
588:
587:
574:
571:
568:
567:
566:
565:
562:
559:
556:
553:
550:
547:
544:
539:
516:
513:
486:Dean of Cloyne
469:
466:
425:
422:
370:
367:
339:
336:
319:
318:
315:
314:
311:
307:
306:
295:
291:
290:
289:1789 (aged 77)
287:
283:
282:
279:
275:
274:
270:
269:
266:
265:
256:
250:
249:
240:
234:
233:
227:
217:
216:
205:
204:
199:
193:
192:
190:The Lord Bowes
187:
181:
180:
175:
171:
170:
160:
159:
153:
152:
149:
148:
145:
137:
136:
131:
128:
123:
114:
113:
28:
26:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
870:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
824:
821:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
800:
798:
785:
784:
783:Baron Lifford
779:
775:
766:
765:
759:
755:
752:
748:
744:
740:
733:
732:
724:
723:
719:
712:
708:
707:William Grove
702:
699:
695:
691:
686:In commission
679:
678:
671:
665:
660:
650:
644:
628:
622:
613:
611:
609:
607:
605:
603:
601:
596:
584:
583:
577:
576:
563:
560:
557:
554:
551:
548:
545:
542:
541:
540:
535:
528:
524:
523:
512:
510:
505:
503:
499:
495:
491:
490:Joseph Hewitt
487:
483:
479:
475:
465:
463:
458:
456:
452:
448:
443:
440:
438:
433:
431:
421:
419:
415:
410:
408:
404:
400:
396:
395:Baron Lifford
392:
388:
384:
380:
376:
366:
364:
360:
356:
352:
348:
345:
335:
333:
329:
325:
316:
312:
308:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
271:
267:
264:
260:
257:
251:
248:
244:
243:William Grove
241:
235:
231:
223:
218:
215:
210:
206:
203:
200:
194:
191:
188:
182:
179:
176:
172:
166:
161:
158:
154:
150:
146:Lord Lifford.
143:
138:
134:
126:
121:
118:
110:
107:
99:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
64:
60:
57: –
56:
52:
51:Find sources:
45:
41:
35:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
781:
774:James Hewitt
762:
758:New creation
757:
729:
716:
675:
648:
643:
631:. Retrieved
621:
581:
506:
471:
459:
444:
441:
434:
427:
411:
406:
394:
372:
341:
323:
322:
254:Succeeded by
221:
197:Succeeded by
164:
117:
102:
93:
83:
76:
69:
62:
50:
38:Please help
33:verification
30:
808:1789 deaths
803:1712 births
328:Anglo-Irish
238:Preceded by
185:Preceded by
797:Categories
787:1768–1789
768:1781–1789
681:1767–1789
555:Supporters
549:Escutcheon
509:Drumcondra
355:Cumberland
351:Rockcliffe
338:Background
310:Profession
178:George III
66:newspapers
591:Citations
498:Navestock
416:(MP) for
383:barrister
294:Spouse(s)
226:1761–1766
222:In office
165:In office
722:Coventry
447:Chancery
418:Coventry
375:attorney
344:Coventry
214:Coventry
133:PC (Ire)
96:May 2023
651:. 2000.
633:3 April
573:Sources
401:in the
399:Lifford
174:Monarch
80:scholar
728:With:
488:, and
468:Family
455:equity
369:Career
347:draper
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
561:Motto
543:Crest
478:Essex
397:, of
379:clerk
87:JSTOR
73:books
720:for
635:2013
515:Arms
286:Died
281:1712
278:Born
212:for
59:news
393:as
377:'s
42:by
799::
599:^
480:,
476:,
365:.
353:,
637:.
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
