John Bagwell (1751-21 December 1816), was an MP for the pre-Union constituency of Tipperary and Colonel of the Tipperary Militia which he raised in 1793.
He was the son of William Bagwell and Jane Harper. Bagwell built Marlfield House, Clonmel as the family residence. In 1774 he married Mary Hare, with whom he had six children, including William and Richard.[1]
He ran unsuccessfully for Cork City in 1775 and in 1790 was declared a member for Tipperary by a committee of the House of Commons.[2]
During the Act of Union debates he controversially changed his vote twice, 'to the disgust of the [then] Lord Lieutenant', Charles Cornwallis. Bagwell went on to support the government of William Pitt the Younger, but expected certain appointment for his sons in return, namely 'a deanery for Richard, full-pay employment in the army for John and succession to his colonelcy of the county militia for William.' Bagwell never gained a peerage, the Chief Secretary stating that he believed it was 'because of a nickname'.[3]