Family and Education

b. ?1785, s. of Thomas Corry of Fairfield by Rebecca, da. of William Stewart, MP [I], of Bailieborough Castle, co. Cavan. educ. Magdalen, Oxf. 5 Dec. 1801, aged 16. m. Sept. 1804, Anne Grace, da. of Sir John Dillon, 1st Bt., MP [I], of Lismullen, co. Meath, 2s.

Offices Held

Cornet 13 Drag. 1803, lt. and capt. 1804, ret. 1808.

Sheriff, co. Monaghan 1807-8.

Biography

The circumstances of Corry’s return for Monaghan were somewhat fortuitous. Although his family had ‘considerable landed property’1 in Monaghan and Cavan, which latter he aspired to represent in 1806, he would scarcely have succeeded the late Richard Dawson as county Member had Dawson’s son been of age. In fact, he had not long attained his majority himself: nor was he approved by some of the leading interests, but rather by smaller independent and apparently anti-Catholic ones.

Corry gave a general and silent support to administration, when present. In May 1808 the viceroy wrote that he had imagined Corry was in opposition, but now thought he would be ‘with us’, after he had applied for a trusteeship of the linen board.2 A year later the chief secretary learnt that Corry ‘might be found disposed to give his support to government, if it should be thought advisable to make the experiment’. In February 1810 the chief secretary wrote to ask for his support in the Scheldt debate, but it does not appear that he gave it.3 On 1 June 1810 he voted against Catholic relief. On the Regency, he sided with opposition, 29 Nov. 1810, 1, 21 Jan. 1811: not subsequently, though apart from his presence in the government minority on the question of the sinecure paymastership, 24 Feb. 1812, his attendance was doubtful.

In 1812 Corry declined a contest with the son of the Member he had succeeded, but on the latter’s succession to a peerage in the following year he again offered, and though described by a potential opponent as ‘most unpopular’ and ‘both as a public and private character most unfit’, came in unopposed, after ‘lavish’ expenditure on his canvass.4 He voted against Catholic relief, 11 and 24 May 1813, and was reckoned a friend of government, though evidence of his attendance is again thin. The chief secretary commended him in June 1817 for coming up from Cheltenham to give support, though unrewarded. Corry had again voted against Catholic claims on 9 May. In December 1817 ministers considered him as a possible seconder of the address, but nothing came of it. In 1818, after an appeal for government support, he declined a contest.5 He died 17 Jan. 1844, ‘aged 60’.6

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: P. J. Jupp

Notes

• 1. J. Wilson, Biog. Index (1808), 407.
• 2. Add. 40221, f. 36; Wellington mss, Richmond to Wellesley, 12 May 1808.
• 3. NLI, Melville mss, Saxton to Saunders Dundas, 10 May 1809; Richmond mss 73/1715.
• 4. Essex RO, Barrett Lennard mss C59, 63, T. B. to Sir. T. B. Lennard, 8, 17, 18 Mar., 5 Apr. 1817.
• 5. Add. 40181, ff. 307, 311; 40277, f. 312; 40293, f. 103.
• 6. Gent. Mag. (1844), i. 329. According to E. P. Shirley, Hist. Co. Monaghan, 189, Corry married ‘Mary Britnell’.