William Cary Dobbs

William Cary Dobbs QC (17 August 1806 – 17 April 1869)[1][2] was an Irish Conservative politician, and barrister.[3] He sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1857 to 1859 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carrickfergus.

William Cary Dobbs QC
Member of Parliament for Carrickfergus
In office 2 April 1857 – 6 May 1859
Preceded by	Wellington Stapleton-Cotton
Succeeded by	Robert Torrens
Personal details
Born	17 August 1806 Belfast, Ireland, United Kingdom
Died	17 April 1869 (aged 62) London, United Kingdom
Resting place	Carrickfergus, Ireland, United Kingdom
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Elinor Jones Westropp ​ ​ (m. 1834)​
Children	Five
Parents	Robert Conway Dobbs Wilhelmina Josepha Bristow
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

Early life and family

Born in Belfast, Dobbs was the only son of five children of Reverend Robert Conway Dobbs and Wilhelmina Josepha née Bristow.[2] He was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated with a wrangler's degree in 1827, and a Master of Arts in 1830, before being called to the bar in 1833.[3]

He married Elinor Jones Westropp, daughter of Henry Sheares Westropp, in 1834 and they had five children: Elinor Dobbs (1838–1892); Wilhelmena Josepha Dobbs (1840–1842); Robert Conway Dobbs (1842–1915); Charity Frances Dobbs (1846–1893); and Henry Sheares Dobbs.[3][2]

In 1851, he became a crown prosecutor for Drogheda and Dundalk on the Irish north-eastern circuit, before being elevated to a Queen's Counsel in 1858.[3]

Member of Parliament

Ahead of the 1857 general election, Dobbs was selected as the Conservative candidate for Carrickfergus, a seat for which his grandfather, Conway Richard Dobbs had represented in the Parliament of Ireland and his cousin, also named Conway Richard Dobbs, had represented from 1832 to 1833.[3]

His candidature was successful and, in Parliament, he promoted free trade, and, as an Anglican promised constituents he would uphold Protestantism and protect the constitution. He sought clarification of the law on tenant rights, and favoured ending the Maynooth Grant, arguing public money should not be used to support the church. While he was also supported an extension of the education and the franchise, he was cautious about the Irish national school system and felt religion should feature high in education.[3][4]

Just before the 1859 general election, Dobbs was made a judge in the landed estates court in Dublin, making him ineligible to stand at the election, ending his political career after one term.[3][4]

Death

While seeking medical attention in London in 1869, Dobbs died. By this time, he had become a senior judge of the court, recognised by the public for his "amiable character... intelligent and cultivated mind... [and] the consistency and uprightness of his conduct". His body was later returned to Dublin, before being interred at the family burying-ground near Carrickfergus.[3]

References

1. Rayment, Leigh (30 December 2017). "The House of Commons: Constituencies beginning with "C"". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
2. Lundy, Darryl (29 August 2018). "William Cary Dobbs". The Peerage. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
3. Harkness, David (2008) [2004]. "Dobbs, William Cary (1806–1869)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/55725. Retrieved 15 September 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
4. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. p. 257. ISBN 978-0901714121.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Mr William Dobbs