Luke White (1740 – 25 February 1824)[1] was an Irish bookseller, operator of a lottery and Whig politician.
He started as an impecunious book dealer, first in the streets of Belfast, then from 1778 at an auction house in Dublin buying and reselling around the country.[2] By 1798, during the Irish Rebellion, he helped the Irish government with a loan of 1 million pounds (at £65 per £100 share at 5%).[3] He then purchased Luttrellstown Castle from Henry Luttrell, 2nd Earl of Carhampton in 1800, and changed its name to Woodlands to eradicate the memory on his previous owner.[4] White was High Sheriff of Longford in 1806.[5] He entered the British House of Commons for Leitrim in 1812 and sat as Member of Parliament (MP) for it until his death in 1824.[1]
On 7 February 1782, he married Elizabeth de la Mazière, by whom he had four sons and three daughters.[5] He later married secondly, in 1800, Arabella Fortescue, daughter of William Fortescue, and had by her one son.[5] White died in Park Street, Mayfair.[2] He left properties worth £175,000 per annum which eventually devolved to his fourth son Henry,[3] who was elevated to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Baron Annaly.[6] His second son Samuel represented the same constituency as his father.[1]
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A Compendium of Irish Biography article Luke White |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Latouche Henry John Clements |
Member of Parliament for Leitrim 1812 – 1824 With: John Latouche 1812–1820 John Marcus Clements 1820–1824 |
Succeeded by John Marcus Clements Samuel White |