Edmund Pery, 1st Viscount Pery


Edmund Sexton Pery, 1st Viscount Pery was an Anglo-Irish politician who served as Speaker of the Irish House of Commons between 1771 and 1785.

Early life

He was born in Limerick, into one of the city's most politically influential families, elder son of the Rev. Stackpole Pery and Jane Twigge.

Political career

A trained barrister, Pery became a member of the Irish House of Commons for the Wicklow Borough constituency in 1751. On the dissolution of the house following the death of George II, Pery was elected for the constituency of Limerick City and served from 1761 until 1785, becoming Speaker of the House in 1771. In 1783, he stood also for Dungannon, however chose to sit for Limerick City. He was considered one of the most powerful politicians in Ireland in his time, leading a faction which included his nephew the future Earl of Limerick and his relatives by marriage, the Hartstonges. Following his resignation, he was created Viscount Pery, of Newtown Pery, near the City of Limerick, in the Peerage of Ireland, entitling him to a seat in the Irish House of Lords. As he had no male heirs, his title became extinct on his death.

Role in the development of Limerick

Pery is also noted for his part in the history of the architecture of Limerick. In 1765, he commissioned the engineer Davis Ducart to design a town plan for land that Pery owned on the southern edge of the existing city, which led to the construction of the Georgian area of the city later known as Newtown Pery. He was also commemorated in the naming of Pery Square.

Family

Pery married Patricia Martin of Dublin in 1756, who died a year later, and secondly Elizabeth Vesey, daughter of the 1st Baron Knapton. He and Elizabeth had two daughters:
Pery's younger brother, William, was a leading figure in the Church of Ireland, becoming Bishop of Killala and subsequently Bishop of Limerick; he was also ennobled as Baron Glentworth. William's son, Edmund, was made Earl of Limerick in 1803 as a result of his support for the Act of Union.