Michael Smith (judge)

Michael Smith (1740–1809) was an Irish judge and founder of a judicial dynasty whose members were noted for eccentricity.

He was born at Newtown, County Offaly, son of William Smith and his wife Hester Lynch. He graduated from the University of Dublin,and was called to the Bar in 1769. He was member of the Irish House of Commons for Randalstown and noted for his eloquence.He was raised to the Bench as a Baron of the Exchequer in 1793; in 1801 he became Master of the Rolls in Ireland, retiring in 1806.

His first marriage to Maryanne Cusack of Ballyronan was an interesting one for an ambitious young lawyer as Maryanne was an open and devout Roman Catholic. Their eldest son Sir William Cusack-Smith followed his father into the law and as a Baron of the Exchequer. His appointment caused disquiet both because he was only 35 and because he was already showing marked signs of eccentricity. William's second son Thomas Berry Cusack Smith continued the family traditions of judicial eminence and eccentricity : like his grandfather he was Master of the Rolls in Ireland and like his father he was notably eccentric.

Maryanne died in 1798 and Michael remarried his cousin Eleanor Smith; in 1799 he was made a baronet of Tuam in King's County.. According to Elrington Ball he was noted for learning and eloquence; in contrast to his son and grandson who were both notably hot-tempered he was invariably calm and self-controlled.^[1]

References

1. ^ Ball, F. Elrington " The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 " John Murray, London, 1926

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Name	Smith, Michael
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Date of birth	1740
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Date of death	1809
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