Francis Blackburne

Francis Blackburne PC (Ire) KS (11 November 1782 – 17 September 1867) was an Irish judge and eventually became Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Background Born at Great Footstown in County Meath, he was the son of Richard Blackburne of Great Footstown and nephew of Anthony Blackburne, Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Meath. His mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Francis Hopkins (1724–1778) of Gillstown, County Meath and Darvistown, County Westmeath, a first cousin of Sir Francis Hopkins M.P., 1st Baronet of Athboy, County Meath; they were two of the great-grandsons of Ezekiel Hopkins, Bishop of Derry during the Siege of Derry, by his second wife, Araminta, daughter of John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor.

Blackburne was educated in Dublin at the school of Rev. William White before entering Trinity College Dublin in 1798, later winning a scholarship, gold medal (1803) and other distinctions.

A year later, he was appointed Attorney-General for Ireland in the Whig administration of Earl Grey 'though known to be a tory ... with a view to the Irish administration having a broad political base' and on this occasion was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland.

Blackburne was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland in February 1852, but was replaced in October. After a break of four years, he became Lord Justice of Appeal in Chancery in Ireland.