Robert Shaw (politician)

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For other persons named Robert or Bob Shaw, see Robert Shaw.

Robert Shaw (29 January 1774-10 March 1849) was a Tory UK Member of Parliament representing Dublin City 1804-1826.

Sir Robert's great great grandfather, William Shaw, went to Ireland and fought for King William at the Battle of the Boyne in 1689, and was rewarded by the grant of land there. William's great grandson, Robert Shaw senior moved to Dublin in the mid-eighteenth century, prospered as a merchant and became Accountant General of the Post Office. In 1785 he acquired Terenure House, an estate of 35 acres. His son, Robert was born in 1774.

On 7th January 1796 Robert married Maria, daughter and heiress of Abraham Wilkinson, and as a dowry received £10,000 together with a 110 acre estate, Bushy Park (possibly named after Bushy Park in Teddington) which adjoined Terenure House. Six months later Robert Sr. died leaving his son in possession of both estates. He sold Terenure House in 1806 and Bushy Park House became the family home (and was occupied by members of the Shaw family until 1951).

In a by-election on 31 March 1804 Shaw replaced the former Tory MP John Claudius Beresford. Shaw retained the seat until he retired, at the dissolution of Parliament, in 1826.

He was created a baronet (i.e. becoming Sir Robert) on 17 August 1821, being formally invested by George IV when he visited Ireland in 1822.

Maria died in 1831 having borne nine children. Sir Robert's cousin, Bernard Shaw, had died in 1826 and Sir Robert had provided Bernard's widow, Frances, with a cottage on the Terenure estate where she lived for the next 45 years. One of Frances' grandchildren, George Bernard Shaw, was to be a regular visitor. On several occasions Sir Robert proposed to Frances, but he was turned down each time

In July 1834 he married Amelia Spencer at Twickenham Parish Church. The couple kept a home in Twickenham, and were closely involved in the formation of the Twickenham Independent (Congregational) chapel. Sir Robert died on 10 March 1849 at Bushy Park, Dublin.

[edit] References

Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)

The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)