Maurice Coppinger

Maurice Coppinger (1727– 6 October 1802) was an Irish barrister and politician, who sat in the Irish House of Commons for many years, and held the office of King's Serjeant. His name is commemorated in Coppinger Row, a side street in central Dublin city; his townhouse was on South William Street nearby.

In his own lifetime, he inspired the phrase "to be issued with a Coppinger", i.e. to be served with a writ from the Court of Chancery (Ireland). Despite his eminence in the legal world, he suffered from chronic money troubles in his later years, partly as a result of a lawsuit that he lost, and also as a result of his dismissal from the lucrative offices of Serjeant-at-law and standing counsel to the Revenue Commissioners. He was said to be a man who could not live without a large income.

Family He was born in Dublin, the elder son of John Coppinger, a landowner and army officer, and Mary Ann Crosbie, daughter of Maurice Crosbie, 1st Baron Brandon and Lady Elizabeth Fitzmaurice, and sister of William Crosbie, 1st Earl of Glandore. His father belonged to the well-known Coppinger (or Copinger) family of County Cork. John's principal estate was at Glenville, a few miles from Cork city; he also owned property in County Kildare. John spent his later years in Dublin and died there in 1752. His death caused a lawsuit between Maurice, who was executor of the will, and his brother Robert, concerning ownership of the family lands in County Kildare. Maurice married Anne Mitchell, daughter of Henry Mitchell, banker, of Dublin, and his wife Margaret Webber, in 1766. Her brother was Hugh Henry Mitchell, MP for Ballyshannon and for Enniskillen.

Glenville- the Mass Rock. Coppinger owned Glenville until the 1770s

Politics

Maurice was educated at Trinity College Dublin, where he took his degree in 1743, and entered the Middle Temple in 1747. He was a reliable Government supporter and an effective though reluctant speaker in the Commons.

Law Officer

He was appointed Third Serjeant-at-law (Ireland) in 1770 and promoted to Second Serjeant in 1774. He went as an extra judge on the Leinster circuit in 1774. He was dismissed from office in 1777, but was asked to serve as an extra judge of assize in 1776.