James Browne (died 1790)

The Honorable James Browne (1736/8 – 22 October 1790) was an Irish Member of Parliament and Law Officer. He sat in the House of Commons of Ireland from 1768 to 1790.^[1]

He was born in County Mayo, fourth son of John Browne, 1st Earl of Altamont and Anne Gore, daughter of Sir Arthur Gore, 2nd Baronet and Elizabeth Annesley.^[2]

He entered Middle Temple in 1755 and was called to the Bar in 1760.^[3] He was advanced to the rank of Prime Serjeant-at-law (Ireland) in 1780.^[3] He was dismissed following the change of Government in 1782, but was reappointed in 1784 when a promotion to the Bench left the office open. He was dismissed a second time in 1787.^[3]He died unmarried in 1790.^[4]

Hart suggests that he was a failure as Prime Serjeant, but adds that the office itself was by the 1780s an anachronism.^[5] Although in theory, the Prime Serjeant was still the Government's most senior legal advisor, in practice the Attorney General of Ireland had for over a century had precedence over the Serjeants. The office of Prime Serjeant was abolished in 1805 following the death of Arthur Browne.^[6]

He was an MP for Jamestown from 1768 to 1776, for Tuam from 1776 to 1783, and for Castlebar from 1783 to 1790.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "Biographies of Members of the Irish Parliament 1692–1800: Browne, James". Ulster Historical Foundation. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
^ Burke's Peerage 107th Edition Delaware 2003 Vol.3 p. 3649
^ ^a ^b ^c Hart, A. R. A History of the King's Serjeants-at-law in Ireland Dublin Four Courts Press 2000 p.165
^ Burke's Peerage
^ Hart p.101
^ Hart p.106

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Edward Loftus Roger Palmer	Member of Parliament for Jamestown 1768–1776 With: John FitzGibbon	Succeeded by Viscount Westport Richard Martin
Preceded by Hugh Carleton William Hull	Member of Parliament for Tuam 1776–1783 With: Sir Henry Lynch-Blosse, 7th Bt	Succeeded by James Cuffe David La Touche
Preceded by Stephen Popham Thomas Coghlan	Member of Parliament for Castlebar 1783–1790 With: Thomas Warren	Succeeded by John Francis Cradock Edward FitzGerald

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[ulsterhist-james-browne-1] "Biographies of Members of the Irish Parliament 1692–1800: Browne, James". Ulster Historical Foundation. Retrieved 17 July 2014.

[2] Burke's Peerage 107th Edition Delaware 2003 Vol.3 p. 3649

[Hart-3] Hart, A. R. A History of the King's Serjeants-at-law in Ireland Dublin Four Courts Press 2000 p.165

[4] Burke's Peerage

[5] Hart p.101

[6] Hart p.106

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