Richard Keatinge

Richard Keatinge (1793-1876) was an Irish barrister and judge who served for many years as the Irish Probate judge. He and his wife Harriet Augusta Joseph has a number of distinguished descendants, including an eminent scientist, a famous novelist and a recipient of the Victoria Cross.

Early life

He was born in Dublin, son of Maurice Keatinge, barrister, and Anne Harte, daughter of Sir Richard Harte, Mayor of Limerick, and his first wife Anne Johnson. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin, which he entered in 1805, and graduated BA in 1812. The Government was enthusiastic about the idea, but informed legal opinion in Ireland was generally against it, the objection being that Keatinge was already seriously overworked, and despite his undoubted ability, he had no experience of Admiralty work. Keatinge himself strongly opposed the proposal, citing his very heavy workload, and the plan came to nothing.

Family and later descendants

He married in 1814 Harriet Augusta Joseph, the third daughter of Samuel Joseph, a London merchant.

They had at least four children, Maurice, Richard Harte Keatinge, Harriet and Laura. Maurice (1816-1896) became Chief Registrar of the Probate Court. The younger Harriet married the Scottish geographer Coutts Trotter (1831-1906) and was the maternal grandmother of the eminent scientist J.B.S. Haldane and the writer Naomi Mitchison.