William Saurin

William Saurin (1757 – 11 February 1839) was an Irish barrister, Crown official and politician. He was Attorney-General for Ireland from 1807 to 1822, and for much of that period, he acted as the effective head of the Irish Government. He was unusual among Irish Law Officers in that he was never appointed a judge, nor wished to become one. As an Ulster Protestant, and a determined opponent of Catholic Emancipation, he incurred the bitter enmity of Daniel O'Connell, who called him "the mortal foe", and worked for years to have him removed from office.

Family Saurin was born in Belfast, second of the four sons of the Reverend James Saurin, Vicar of Belfast (died 1774) and his wife Jane Duff. James Saurin, Bishop of Dromore, was his younger brother.

The Saurins were of French Huguenot descent (no doubt this is why Daniel O'Connell called William an "insolent transplanted Frenchman"). Saurin's anti-Catholic bias is also said to have offended Wellesley's second wife, Marianne, who was a Catholic. Daniel O'Connell exulted in "the downfall of our mortal foe". Wellesley, who was accused of treating Saurin harshly, said that short of offering him the Lord Lieutenancy itself, he did not see what more he could have done. Saurin retained some indirect political influence until the enactment of Catholic Emancipation in 1829 finally ended his political career.

Despite his increasing age he returned to private practice for some years, and became "Father of the Bar" (that is, its longest serving member). In that capacity, he gave the farewell address to the departing Lord Chancellor, Sir Anthony Hart, in 1830.

Personal life Saurin married Mary O'Brien, daughter of Edward Dominic O'Brien and Mary Carrick. She was the sister of William O'Brien, 2nd Marquess of Thomond, and James O'Brien, 3rd Marquess of Thomond, and the widow of Sir Richard Eyre Cox, 4th Baronet (died 1783). She and William had four sons, including Edward, James and Mark, and one daughter. Their eldest son, Edward (died 1878), became an Admiral and married Lady Mary Ryder (died 1900), daughter of the prominent statesman Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby and his wife Susanna Leveson Gower. The celebrated Australian actor William Saurin Lyster was William's nephew.

Saurin died at his home at St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, in January 1839; his widow died the following year. He also owned Carysfort House, Stillorgan, and held substantial lands in County Tipperary.

Character and appearance He was described as small and decidedly "French" in appearance (hence O'Connell's gibe about his being a "transplanted Frenchman"); his face was dominated by shaggy eyebrows, under which his black eyes had a piercing but not unkindly expression. His private life was blameless and despite his anti-Catholic bias, his character was described as honourable and affectionate.