John Law

John Law (1745–1810) was an English mathematician and clergyman who began his career as a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, and went on to become chaplain to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Church of Ireland bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh (1782–1787), Killala and Achonry (1787–1795), and finally of Elphin (1795–1810).

He was a lifelong friend and correspondent of the philosopher William Paley.

Early life The son of Edmund Law, later Bishop of Carlisle, and Mary Christian, Law was born at Greystoke in Cumberland, where his father was rector. He was educated at Charterhouse School and Christ's College, Cambridge, where in 1766 he graduated Bachelor of Arts with first-class honours in the Mathematical Tripos and was named as second Wrangler. He proceeded Master of Arts in 1769.

Career Law became a Fellow of Christ's and an Anglican clergyman, and spent several years as a tutor and lecturer at Cambridge. In 1773 his father gave him his first benefices, as vicar of Warkworth, Northumberland, and as prebendary of Carlisle. Paley and Law had been friends at Cambridge, where Law lectured on mathematics and Paley on metaphysics and morals. When Law became Bishop of Clonfert, Paley was his successor as Archdeacon of Carlisle, and it was the urging of Law which led Paley to expand his Cambridge lectures into his book The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy (1785). In that work, the chapter on Reverencing the Deity was ascribed to Law.

Law was translated to Killala and Achonry on 10 November 1787. On learning that almost the whole population of his new see were Roman Catholics, he commented: "That as it was a hopeless task to make them protestants, it would answer every desirable purpose to make them good catholicks." At his own expense, Law then distributed throughout the diocese a new edition of the Rev. John Gother's The Sincere Christian's Guide in the Choice of Religion. His wife, born on 4 August 1741, was the half-sister of James Wallace, barrister, of Featherstone Castle, Member of Parliament, Solicitor General and Attorney General, and the aunt of Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace.

Law was the elder brother of Ewan Law (1747–1829), of Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough (1750–1818), who became Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, and of George Henry Law (1761–1845), Bishop of Chester and Bishop of Bath and Wells. Eliza and Thomas Law divorced in 1811.

Publications A Sermon preached at the Visitation of the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London: in the church of Thaxted, in Essex, on Wednesday, 28 May 1778 (1778) Sermon preached in Christ Church, Dublin, before the Incorporated Society (1796) Sermon preached in St Paul's Cathedral, London, at the meeting of the charity school children (1797)