Edmund Pery, 1st Viscount Pery
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Edmund Sexton Pery, 1st Viscount Pery (8 April 1719 – 24 February 1806) was an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons, serving as Speaker of the House between 1771 and 1785. He was born in Limerick, into one of the city's most politically influential families, elder son of the Rev. Stacpoole Pery and Jane Twigge.
Political career
A trained barrister,[1] Pery became a member of the Irish House of Commons for the Wicklow Borough constituency in 1751.[1] On the dissolution of the house following the death of George II, Pery was elected for the constituency of Limerick City and served from 1761 until 1785, becoming Speaker of the House in 1771.[2] In 1783, he stood also for Dungannon, however chose to sit for Limerick City. He was considered one of the most powerful politicians in Ireland in his time, leading a faction which included his nephew the future Earl of Limerick and his relatives by marriage, the Hartstonges. Following his resignation, he was created a Peer with the title Viscount Pery, of Newtown Pery, near the City of Limerick,[3] although as he had no male heirs, he was the only holder of that title.[4]
Role in the development of Limerick
Pery is also noted for his part in the history of the architecture of Limerick. In 1765, he commissioned the engineer Davis Dukart to design a town plan for land that Pery owned on the southern edge of the existing city,[5] which led to the construction of the Georgian area of the city later known as Newtown Pery. He was also commemorated in the naming of Pery Square.[2]
Family
Pery married Patricia Martin of Dublin in 1756, who died a year later, and secondly Elizabeth Vesey, daughter of the 1st Baron Knapton. He and Elizabeth had two daughters: Diana, who married Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly and Frances, who married Nicolson Calvert, M.P. for Hertfordshire. Pery's younger brother William was a leading figure in the Church of Ireland, becoming Bishop of Killala and subsequently Bishop of Limerick; he was also ennobled as Baron Glentworth. William's son Edmund, for supporting the Act of Union, was made Earl of Limerick in 1803.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 John Lodge, Mervyn Archdall (1789). The Peerage of Ireland. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gerry Joyce (1995). Limerick City Street Names. Limerick Corporation. p. 45. ISBN 0-905700-07-4.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 12716. p. 13. 10 January 1786.
- ↑ John Debrett (1829). Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland. p. 779.
- ↑ An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of Limerick City. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage – Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. 2008. ISBN 0-7557-7441-8.
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Theaker James Whitshed |
Member of Parliament for Wicklow Borough 1751–1761 With: James Whitshed |
Succeeded by William Tighe William Whitshed |
| Preceded by Richard Maunsell Charles Smyth |
Member of Parliament for Limerick City 1761–1785 With: Hugh Dillon Massy 1761 Charles Smyth 1761–1776 Thomas Smyth 1776–1785 |
Succeeded by John Prendergast Smyth Thomas Smyth |
| Preceded by Charles O'Hara William Eden |
Member of Parliament for Dungannon 1783 With: Hon. Thomas Knox |
Succeeded by Lorenzo Moore Hon. Thomas Knox |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Ponsonby |
Speaker of the Irish House of Commons 1771–1785 |
Succeeded by John Foster |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| New creation | Viscount Pery 1785–1806 |
Extinct |