Peter Burrowes (1753–8 November 1841) was an Irish barrister and politician.

Life

He was born in

Portarlington, County Laois Portarlington, historically called Cooletoodera (from ), is a town on the border of County Laois and County Offaly, Ireland. The River Barrow forms the border. Portarlington is around west of Dublin. The town was recorded in the 2022 census ...

in 1753. At

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 Univ ...

, which he entered in 1774,"Alumni Dublinenses : a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity College in the University of Dublin (1593–1860

George Dames Burtchaell George Dames Burtchaell, KC, MA, LLB, MRIA, JP (12 June 1853 – 18 August 1921) was an Irish genealogist. Education Burtchaell was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College, Dublin. Career *Barrister King's Inns, 1879 * KC 1918 ...

Thomas Ulick Sadleir Thomas Ulick Sadleir (15 September 1882 – 21 December 1957) was an Irish genealogist and heraldic expert. He was successively registrar of the Order of St Patrick, Deputy Ulster King of Arms and Acting Ulster King of Arms. Career Sadleir's fi ...

p118: Dublin, Alex Thom and Co, 1935 he distinguished himself in the debates of the

College Historical Society The College Historical Society (CHS) – popularly referred to as The Hist – is a debating society at Trinity College Dublin. It was established within the college in 1770 and was inspired by the club formed by the philosopher Edmund ...

. While still a student at the Middle Temple, in 1784, he published a pamphlet on Catholic Emancipation, which introduced him to the notice of Flood and the other leading Irish patriots. In the following year he was called to the bar, where he rapidly acquired a good practice. In 1790, along with

Wolfe Tone Theobald Wolfe Tone, posthumously known as Wolfe Tone (; 20 June 176319 November 1798), was a revolutionary exponent of Irish independence and is an iconic figure in Irish republicanism. Convinced that, so long as his fellow Protestantism in ...

and others, he founded a society in Dublin for the discussion of literary and political subjects. In a duel which he fought at

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

in 1794 with

Somerset Butler Somerset ( , ), archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to t ...

, his life was only saved by the ball striking against some coppers which he happened to have in his waistcoat pocket. Though he did not share in the more extreme views of the

United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association, formed in the wake of the French Revolution, to secure Representative democracy, representative government in Ireland. Despairing of constitutional reform, and in defiance both of British ...

, he was a zealous supporter of all the most important measures of reform. Along with thirteen other king's counsel, on 9 December 1798, he protested against the proposals for a union with Great Britain, and after being elected member for

Enniscorthy Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountains and Ireland's longest beach, Curracloe. The Plac ...

in February 1800 he continued, as long as the Irish parliament existed, persistently to oppose the measure. In 1803 he acted as the counsel of

Robert Emmet Robert Emmet (4 March 177820 September 1803) was an Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attempt to overthrow the British Crown and Prote ...

, and in 1811 he was employed to defend the catholic delegates. From 1821 to 1835 he was commissioner of the insolvent debtors court. He died in London on 8 November 1841. He is buried in

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...

in London to the north-east of the main chapel.

References

External links

* http://www.libraryireland.com/biography/PeterBurrowes.php {{DEFAULTSORT:Burrowes, Peter 1753 births 1841 deaths 18th-century Irish lawyers 19th-century Irish lawyers Irish barristers Irish duellists Politicians from County Laois Lawyers from County Laois People from Portarlington, County Laois Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Wexford constituencies Irish MPs 1798–1800 Alumni of Trinity College Dublin