He was the son of Anthony Foster of Dunleer, Louth, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer (himself the son of John Foster, MP for Dunleer) by his first wife Elizabeth Burgh. Foster lived in Merville, now part of the University College Dublin Campus in Clonskeagh, which came into his ownership in 1778. He also inherited Collon House in County Louth from his father, and made extensive improvements to the house and grounds; Collon was famous for its variety of trees and shrubs.[1]
Political careeredit
He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) to the Irish House of Commons for Dunleer in 1761, a seat he held until 1769. He made his mark in financial and commercial questions, being appointed Irish Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1784.[2] His law giving bounties on the exportation of corn and imposing heavy taxes on its importation is noted by William Lecky as being largely responsible for making Ireland an arable instead of a pasture country.[3] In 1785 he became the last Speaker of the Irish House of Commons.
In 1768, Foster was elected for Navan and in 1783 for Sligo Borough. Both times he had also stood for County Louth, which constituency he then chose to represent. He held this seat until the Act of Union in 1801, which he opposed. From 1785 to 1800 he was Speaker of the Irish Parliament.[4]
It was said by his critics that his opposition to the Union was less political than personal: summoned to London for consultations, he found himself treated with contempt by the English officials he dealt with, who mocked his broad Irish accent and called him "Mister Spaker". On returning to Ireland he launched a campaign of opposition to the Union. He ultimately refused to surrender the Speaker's mace, which was kept by his family and is now on display in the Parliament House, Dublin (now the Bank of Ireland).[5]
Collon House, ancestral seat of the Foster family.
His wife (d. 1824) had in 1790 been created an Irish peeress, as Baroness Oriel, and in 1797 Viscountess Ferrard. Their younger son, Thomas Henry (1772–1843), who married Harriet Skeffington, Viscountess Massereene in her own right, and took the name of Skeffington, inherited all these titles; the later Viscounts Massereene being their descendants.
John and Margaretta also had a daughter, Anne, who married James Blackwood, 2nd Baron Dufferin, but had no children. She outlived her husband by many years and reached the age of 93.
One of his first cousins married Elizabeth Hervey, aka Lady Bess Foster, aka Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire. His younger brother was Lord Bishop Foster.
^[1] says "John William Foster,. M.P., for Dunleer, who married 1788, Rebecca, the only child of Hamilton McClure, Esq., of Dublin, and died 1809, having had ..."
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Foster, 1st Baron Oriel.
Foster papers Online at the Northern Ireland Public Records Office
Biography and lettersedit
APW Malcomson: "John Foster: The politics of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy"; ISBN0-19-920087-4, 504 pages, 1978 Oxford: Oxford University Press
APW Malcomson: An Anglo-Irish Dialogue: A Calendar of the Correspondence between John Foster and Lord Sheffield 1774-1821"; ISBN0-905691-00-8, 1975 Belfast: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
john, foster, baron, oriel, other, people, named, john, foster, john, foster, disambiguation, 1740, august, 1828, anglo, irish, politician, peer, thrice, served, chancellor, exchequer, ireland, also, served, last, speaker, irish, house, commons, right, honoura. For other people named John Foster see John Foster disambiguation John Foster 1st Baron Oriel PC Ire 1740 23 August 1828 was an Anglo Irish politician and peer who thrice served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland and also served as the last speaker of the Irish House of Commons The Right HonourableThe Lord OrielPC Ire portrait by Gilbert StuartChancellor of the Exchequer of IrelandIn office 30 April 1807 1811MonarchGeorge IIIPrime MinisterThe Duke of PortlandPreceded bySir John Newport BtSucceeded byWilliam Wellesley PoleIn office 9 July 1804 24 February 1806Prime MinisterWilliam Pitt the YoungerPreceded byIsaac CorrySucceeded bySir John Newport 1st BaronetIn office 23 April 1784 17 September 1785Preceded byGeorge PonsonbySucceeded bySir John Parnell 2nd BaronetSpeaker of the Irish House of CommonsIn office 1785 1800MonarchGeorge IIIPreceded byEdmund PerySucceeded byOffice abolished Cathal Brugha as Ceann Comhairle Personal detailsBorn1740Died23 August 1828 aged 87 88 SpouseMargaretta Amelia Foster m 1764 died 1824 wbr Contents 1 Early life 2 Political career 3 Family 4 Arms 5 References 6 External links 7 Biography and lettersEarly life editHe was the son of Anthony Foster of Dunleer Louth Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer himself the son of John Foster MP for Dunleer by his first wife Elizabeth Burgh Foster lived in Merville now part of the University College Dublin Campus in Clonskeagh which came into his ownership in 1778 He also inherited Collon House in County Louth from his father and made extensive improvements to the house and grounds Collon was famous for its variety of trees and shrubs 1 Political career editHe was elected Member of Parliament MP to the Irish House of Commons for Dunleer in 1761 a seat he held until 1769 He made his mark in financial and commercial questions being appointed Irish Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1784 2 His law giving bounties on the exportation of corn and imposing heavy taxes on its importation is noted by William Lecky as being largely responsible for making Ireland an arable instead of a pasture country 3 In 1785 he became the last Speaker of the Irish House of Commons In 1768 Foster was elected for Navan and in 1783 for Sligo Borough Both times he had also stood for County Louth which constituency he then chose to represent He held this seat until the Act of Union in 1801 which he opposed From 1785 to 1800 he was Speaker of the Irish Parliament 4 It was said by his critics that his opposition to the Union was less political than personal summoned to London for consultations he found himself treated with contempt by the English officials he dealt with who mocked his broad Irish accent and called him Mister Spaker On returning to Ireland he launched a campaign of opposition to the Union He ultimately refused to surrender the Speaker s mace which was kept by his family and is now on display in the Parliament House Dublin now the Bank of Ireland 5 nbsp Collon House ancestral seat of the Foster family He served as Custos Rotulorum of Louth from 1798 to 1801 and Governor of Louth from 1798 to his death Foster was returned in 1801 to the new United Kingdom parliament as a member for County Louth and from 1804 to 1806 was Irish Chancellor of the Exchequer under Pitt From 1807 to 1813 he was second Commissioner in the Irish Treasury and from 1807 to 1812 one of the Lord Commissioners of the UK Treasury 6 In 1821 he has created a peer of the United Kingdom as Baron Oriel of Ferrard in the County of Louth and died on 23 August 1828 Family editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources John Foster 1st Baron Oriel news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Foster Place Dublin street sign named after John FosterIn 1764 he married Margaretta Amelia Burgh daughter of Thomas Burgh MP for Lanesborough and his wife Anne Downes daughter of Dive Downes Bishop of Cork and Ross John and Margaretta had two sons and a daughter His elder son John Foster was MP for Dunleer 1790 92 and died without issue before 18 April 1792 7 That John should not be confused with his cousin John William Foster MP for Dunleer 1783 90 8 His wife d 1824 had in 1790 been created an Irish peeress as Baroness Oriel and in 1797 Viscountess Ferrard Their younger son Thomas Henry 1772 1843 who married Harriet Skeffington Viscountess Massereene in her own right and took the name of Skeffington inherited all these titles the later Viscounts Massereene being their descendants John and Margaretta also had a daughter Anne who married James Blackwood 2nd Baron Dufferin but had no children She outlived her husband by many years and reached the age of 93 One of his first cousins married Elizabeth Hervey aka Lady Bess Foster aka Elizabeth Duchess of Devonshire His younger brother was Lord Bishop Foster Arms editCoat of arms of John Foster 1st Baron Oriel Motto Divini Gloria Ruris 9 References edit Archived copy Archived from the original on 11 April 2012 Retrieved 18 December 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Chisholm Chisholm Chisholm Chisholm Chisholm Burke s Peerage 1970 1 says John William Foster M P for Dunleer who married 1788 Rebecca the only child of Hamilton McClure Esq of Dublin and died 1809 having had Debrett s Peerage 1825 nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Oriel John Foster Baron Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed Cambridge University Press External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Foster 1st Baron Oriel Foster papers Online at the Northern Ireland Public Records OfficeBiography and letters editAPW Malcomson John Foster The politics of the Anglo Irish Ascendancy ISBN 0 19 920087 4 504 pages 1978 Oxford Oxford University Press APW Malcomson An Anglo Irish Dialogue A Calendar of the Correspondence between John Foster and Lord Sheffield 1774 1821 ISBN 0 905691 00 8 1975 Belfast Public Record Office of Northern IrelandParliament of IrelandPreceded byAnthony Foster Thomas Tennison Member of Parliament for Dunleer1761 1769 With Thomas Tennison 1761 1762Dixie Coddington 1762 1769 Succeeded byRobert Sibthorpe Dixie CoddingtonPreceded byJohn Preston Joseph Preston Member of Parliament for Navan1768 1769 With Joseph Preston Succeeded byJohn Preston Joseph PrestonPreceded byStephen Sibthorpe James Fortescue Member of Parliament for County Louth1768 1801 With James Fortescue 1768 1782Thomas James Fortescue 1782 1796William Charles Fortescue 1796 1801 Succeeded byParliament of the United KingdomPreceded byRichard Hely Hutchinson Owen Wynne Member of Parliament for Sligo Borough1783 With Owen Wynne Succeeded byOwen WynneThomas DawsonParliament of the United KingdomNew constituency Member of Parliament for Louth1801 1821 With William Charles Fortescue to 1806Viscount Jocelyn 1806 1807John Jocelyn 1807 1810Viscount Jocelyn 1810 1820John Jocelyn from August 1810 Succeeded byThomas Skeffington andJohn JocelynPolitical officesPreceded bySir John Newport Bt Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland1807 11 Succeeded byWilliam Wellesley PolePreceded byIsaac Corry Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland1804 06 Succeeded bySir John Newport 1st BaronetPreceded byEdmund Sexton Pery Speaker of the Irish House of Commons1785 1800 Office abolishedPreceded byGeorge Ponsonby Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland1784 85 Succeeded bySir John Parnell 2nd BaronetPeerage of the United KingdomNew creation Baron Oriel1821 1828 Succeeded byThomas Skeffington Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Foster 1st Baron Oriel amp oldid 1171229960, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
