William Monsell, 1st Baron Emly

William Monsell, 1st Baron Emly, PC (21 September 1812–20 April 1894cite encyclopedia|ency=Catholic Encyclopedia|edition=1|year=1913|article=William Monsell, Baron Emly] citebook|title=Papers of William Monsell, 1817–1899|author=National Archives of Ireland|accessdate=2006-04-04|url=http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy/Private_sources/Monsell.pdf|pages=2–4|format=PDF|language=English] ) was the President of the Board of Health of the United Kingdom (a position now known as the Secretary of State for Health) between 9 February 1857 and 24 September 1857.

He was born to William Monsell of Tervoe (1778–1822) and Olivia, daughter of Sir John Walsh of Ballykilcavan. He was educated at Winchester (1826-1830) and Oriel College, Oxford, but he left the university without proceeding to a degree in 1831. As his father had died in 1824, he succeeded to the family estates on coming of age and was a popular landlord, the more so as he was resident. In August 1836, he married Lady Anna Maria Charlotte Wyndam-Quin (1814-55), only daughter of the 2nd Earl of Dunraven with whom he had two sons, both of whom died in infancy. After her death on 7 January 1855, he married Bertha (1835-90), youngest daughter the Comte de Montigny of the house of Montigny de Perreux (1857), by whom he had one son Gaston (1858-1932), later the second Lord Emly and one daughter Mary Olivia (1860-1942).

He served as the Sheriff of County Limerick in 1835. In 1847, he was returned to Parliament as a member for Limerick in the Liberal Party, and represented the constituency until 1874.

In 1850, he became a Catholic and thereafter took a prominent part in Catholic affairs, especially in Parliament. As a friend of Wiseman, Newman, Montalambert, W. G. Ward, and other eminent Catholics, he was intimately acquainted with the various interests of the Church, and his parliamentary position was often of great advantage to the Church.

In the House of Commons, he was successful and filled many offices. He served as Clerk of the Ordnance from 1852 to 1857; was appointed Privy Councillor in 1855; President of the Board of Health in 1857; Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1866; Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies 1868–1871; Postmaster-General between January 1871 and November 1873. He also served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Royal University of Ireland between 1885 and 1894.

He was raised to the peerage as Baron Emly on 12 January 1874. He lost much of his popularity in Ireland during his later years, because of his opposition to the Irish National Land League and to the home rule movement in Ireland. His work being chiefly parliamentary, he wrote little, but published some articles in the "Home and Foreign Review" and a "Lecture on the Roman Question" (1860).

References

* Matthew Potter, 'A Catholic Unionist. The Life and Times of William Monsell, First Baron Emly of Tervoe 1812-1894', (unpublished Ph.D thesis NUI Galway, 2001).