William MacMahon (1776–1837) was an Irish judge and member of a Limerick family which became prominent largely through personal influence over the Prince Regent.
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He was born in Limerick, son of John MacMahon, comptroller of the port of Limerick, and his second wife, Mary Stackpoole. He was educated at the University of Dublin, called to the Bar in 1799, King's Counsel in 1807.
William married firstly Frances Burston, who died in 1813; and secondly Charlotte Shaw. Of his numerous children the most notable was Charles MacMahon (1824–1891) who had a distinguished career in Australia as politician and who was the second Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police from 1854-58. Charles MacMahon was also Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly between 1871-77.
William's most valued relative was undoubtedly his much older half-brother, Sir John McMahon, 1st Baronet (1754–1817) who in 1811 was appointed private secretary to the Prince Regent, later King George IV, and who in the remaining six years of his life was considered to have great influence over the Prince. Certainly he was able to obtain favours for his family: when John Philpot Curran retired as Master of the Rolls in Ireland John was able to obtain the office for William, then only 37; this is said to be one of the few occasions when the British Royal family has directly intervened in a judicial appointment. William, like his brother, became a baronet.
In previous centuries the office of Master of the Rolls in Ireland had been a sinecure for politicians. However the appointment of Sir Michael Smith in 1801 had marked an effort to turn the office into a full-time judicial position which would attract first class lawyers. Given William's youth, and the nepotism which gave rise to it, his appointment might have been expected to arouse protest. In fact, according to Elrington Ball, there was no protest and the appointment worked out far better than had been feared: William had a reputation for integrity, was popular and a fairly good lawyer.[1] An obituary notice published soon after his death in January 1837 seems to bear this out: MacMahon is praised for integrity and lack of political prejudice and as an exceptionally conscientious judge; while the writer admitted he was very slow in giving judgment this was attributed to his desire to ensure that justice was done.[2]