1756, 13 Nov
Robert FitzGerald - Irish Court of Admiralty
The appointment of Robert FitzGerald, son of the Knight of Kerry, to the Irish Court of Admiralty
Robert FitzGerald, son of Maurice, Knight of Kerry, and Elizabeth Crosbie, was appointed a judge of the Court of Admiralty of Ireland to replace the `mad Dr Baillie`. FitzGerald obtained the post through powerful political allies such as John Ponsonby, speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and his brother-in-law, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Duke of Devonshire. However, the First Lord of the Admiralty, George Anson, insisted that FitxGerald obtain an LLD degree. Though he had been called to the Irish Bar in 1774, FitzGerald had been awarded an LLD honoris causa from the University of Dublin, Trinity College. This was not quite what Anson had in mind, as it was honorary rather than real.
