Arthur French (politician)
Arthur French (1764 – 24 November 1820) was an Irish Whig politician.
In 1783, he was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) for Roscommon County in the Irish House of Commons. After the Act of Union in 1801 he represented Roscommon in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. He was alleged to have been offered an Earldom if he would support the Union of Ireland with Great Britain but refused the honour. Later he also refused a Barony with no strings attached. A critic of the policy of collective fines as a deterrent to the illicit distillation of poteen, he incurred the wrath of Chief Secretary of Ireland Robert Peel who called him "an Abominable fellow". He also criticized the continuation of martial law in Ireland. One report at the time states that he had died "from excessive fox hunting".
References
- Mosley, Charles (editor). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage: 107th Edition.
- French, Maurice. The Frenchs of French Park. Warminster: Maurice French, 1999.
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Crofton Maurice Mahon |
Member of Parliament for Roscommon County 1783–1800 With: Edward Crofton 1783–1798 George King, Viscount Kingsborough 1798–1799 Thomas Mahon 1799–1801 |
Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Roscommon 1801–1820 With: Thomas Mahon 1801–1802 Edward King 1802–1806 Stephen Mahon 1806–1820 |
Succeeded by Arthur French Stephen Mahon |