Marmaduke Coghill (1673–1738) was a member of the
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland () was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until the end of 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two chambers: the Irish Hou ...
for Dublin University, judge of the
Prerogative Court
A prerogative court is a court through which the discretionary powers, privileges, and legal immunities reserved to the sovereign were exercised. In England in the 17th century, a clash developed between these courts, representing the crown's a ...
and
Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland
The Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland was the head of the Exchequer of Ireland and a member of the Dublin Castle administration under the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Kingdom of Ireland. In early times the office was sometimes called ...
.
Biography
Coghill was born in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, the son of John Coghill of
Knaresborough
Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish on the River Nidd in North Yorkshire, England. It is east of Harrogate and was in the Borough of Harrogate until April 2023.
History
The Knaresborough Hoard, the largest hoard of ...
,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
, judge of the prerogative court and one of the masters in chancery. His mother was the daughter of Tobias Cramer, of Ballyfoyle,
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
. Two elder sisters and a younger brother, James, survived infancy. He spent his childhood in Dublin.
[A History of the County Dublin, by Francis Elrington Ball (1920)]
He occupied a prominent place in the life of Dublin, and was remarkable for his early display of ability. At the age of 14, he entered
Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...
; at the age of 18 he graduated as a bachelor of laws; at the age of 19 he was returned to parliament; and at the age of 26 he became judge of the prerogative court.
[
]
In Parliament, from 1692 to 1713 he was a representative of the borough of Armagh
Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...
, and from 1713 to his death, in 1739, a representative of Dublin University
The University of Dublin (), corporately named as The Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a research university located in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dublin, whi ...
.[ He was politically close to ]William Conolly
William Conolly (9 April 1662 – 30 October 1729), also known as Speaker Conolly, was an Irish Whig politician, Commissioner of Revenue, lawyer and landowner. He was an influential figure in Irish politics, serving as Speaker of the Irish ...
, speaker of the Irish House of Commons, who died in 1729. Upon Conolly's death, he succeeded him as a commissioner of the revenue. Over the following years, he played a prominent role in parliament, particularly in financial matters. He also built up a close relationship with John Perceval
John de Burgh Perceval AO (1 February 1923 – 15 October 2000) was a well-known Australian artist. Perceval was the last surviving member of a group known as the Angry Penguins who redefined Australian art in the 1940s. Other members includ ...
, the British Prime Minister's chief advisor on Irish affairs.
He became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1735 and was regarded as an honest and able supporter of Irish interests.[Royal Irish Academy: Dictionary of Irish Biography, vol. 2, p. 625, Dublin 2009] Outside parliament he was very active on boards, commissions and trusts, took a hand in the building of Dr Steevens' Hospital
Dr Steevens' Hospital (also called Dr Steevens's Hospital) (), one of Ireland's most distinguished eighteenth-century medical establishments, was located at Kilmainham in Dublin Ireland. It was founded under the terms of the will of Richard Stee ...
and was pro-vice-chancellor of Trinity College. He lived in Belvidere House, Drumcondra
Belvidere House in Drumcondra, Dublin is a historic house now located within the grounds of St Patrick's College, Dublin, a constituent college of Dublin City University.
The house was constructed in its original form around 1660 for Robert Boot ...
, now in the grounds of St Patrick's College, Dublin
St Patrick's College (), often known as St Pat's, was a third level institution in Ireland, the leading function of which was as the country's largest primary teacher training college, which had at one time up to 2,000 students. Founded in Drum ...
. He suffered from gout for a large part of his life.
From his father Coghill had inherited a lease from the Corporation of lands in Clonturk
Clonturk () is an area on the Northside (Dublin), Northside of Dublin, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the south of the suburb of Drumcondra, Dublin, Drumcondra, just north of the River Tolka, but previously, Clonturk had been ...
, where he erected a house which was afterwards known as Drumcondra House.[ He moved into Drumcondra House and lived there with his sister until his death.
He never married; in his last years, he lived with his unmarried sister Mary. At his death she was left, for her lifetime, his lands in the barony of ]Coolock
Coolock () is a large suburban area, centred on a village, on Dublin city's Northside in Ireland. Coolock is crossed by the Santry River, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear park and ponds. The Coolock suburban a ...
, rents from his properties in Clonturk, all his household goods, and his coach, chariot and horses. In 1743, she erected the parish church of Clonturk (now Drumcondra Church
Drumcondra Church of Ireland is a Church of Ireland church located in Drumcondra, Dublin, previously in the Civil Parish of Clonturk. The church and its churchyard contain memorials to a number of notable historical figures.
History
In 1743 the ...
), and placed in it a statue of her brother by the Dutch sculptor Peter Scheemakers
Peter Scheemakers or Pieter Scheemaeckers II or the Younger (10 January 1691 – 12 September 1781) was a Southern Netherlands, Flemish sculptor who worked for most of his life in London. His public and church sculptures in a classicism, classici ...
. He was buried in the family vault in St. Andrew's Church, Andrew St. The tomb was designed by Peter Scheemakers
Peter Scheemakers or Pieter Scheemaeckers II or the Younger (10 January 1691 – 12 September 1781) was a Southern Netherlands, Flemish sculptor who worked for most of his life in London. His public and church sculptures in a classicism, classici ...
.[Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Peter Gunnis]
External links
Photograph of Belvedere House taken by Sir John Joscelyn Coghill around 1860
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coghill, Marmaduke
1673 births
1738 deaths
Alumni of Trinity College Dublin
Politicians from Dublin (city)
Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
Irish ecclesiastical judges
Irish MPs 1692–1693
Irish MPs 1695–1699
Irish MPs 1703–1713
Irish MPs 1713–1714
Irish MPs 1715–1727
Irish MPs 1727–1760
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Armagh constituencies
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for Dublin University
Lawyers from Dublin (city)