Sir Constantine Henry Phipps (1656–1723) was an English-born lawyer who held the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His term of office was marked by bitter political faction-fighting and he faced repeated calls for his removal. His descendants held the titles Earl of Mulgrave and Marquess of Normanby. Sir William Phips, the Governor of Massachusetts 1692–94, was his first cousin. Early life He was born in Reading, the third son of Francis Phipps and Anne Sharpe. Though they described themselves as "gentry", his family do not seem to have had much money: Constantine received a free education at Reading School. His uncle James emigrated to Maine where his numerous children, of whom the best known is his son William, the future Governor of Massachusetts, were born. Constantine won a scholarship to St. John's College, Oxford in 1672. He was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1678 and called to the Bar in 1684. He was a lawyer of great ability: in politics, he was a strong Tory and suspected Jacobite, which harmed his career. His name became associated with politically sensitive trials: he was junior counsel for the defence in the prosecution of Sir John Fenwick for his part in the conspiracy against William III in 1696. It was his management of the defence of Henry Sacheverell, impeached for preaching an inflammatory sermon in 1710, that made his name as a barrister and caused Queen Anne to favour him. Lord Chancellor of Ireland In 1710 Richard Freeman, the popular and respected Lord Chancellor of Ireland died of brain disease, and Phipps was chosen to succeed him. He arrived in Ireland in December and quickly became embroiled in the political controversies which were rife in Dublin at the time. He was also appointed Lord Justice of Ireland, together with Richard Ingoldsby, and was a key member of the Dublin administration. As a convinced Tory, he sought to "pack" local councils with politically reliable sheriffs and justices of the peace. In Dublin itself the results were disastrous: a Whig Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sir John Eccles, was elected but the Crown refused to recognise his election, and for two years the capital had no effective Government.

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Overview

Sir Constantine Henry Phipps (1656–1723) was an English-born lawyer who held the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His term of office was marked by bitter political faction-fighting and he faced repeated calls for his removal. His descendants held the titles Earl of Mulgrave and Marquess of Normanby. Sir William Phips, the Governor of Massachusetts 1692–94, was his first cousin. Early life He was born in Reading, the third son of Francis Phipps and Anne Sharpe. Though they described themselves as "gentry", his family do not seem to have had much money: Constantine received a free education at Reading School. His uncle James emigrated to Maine where his numerous children, of whom the best known is his son William, the future Governor of Massachusetts, were born. Constantine won a scholarship to St. John's College, Oxford in 1672. He was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1678 and called to the Bar in 1684. He was a lawyer of great ability: in politics, he was a strong Tory and suspected Jacobite, which harmed his career. His name became associated with politically sensitive trials: he was junior counsel for the defence in the prosecution of Sir John Fenwick for his part in the conspiracy against William III in 1696. It was his management of the defence of Henry Sacheverell, impeached for preaching an inflammatory sermon in 1710, that made his name as a barrister and caused Queen Anne to favour him. Lord Chancellor of Ireland In 1710 Richard Freeman, the popular and respected Lord Chancellor of Ireland died of brain disease, and Phipps was chosen to succeed him. He arrived in Ireland in December and quickly became embroiled in the political controversies which were rife in Dublin at the time. He was also appointed Lord Justice of Ireland, together with Richard Ingoldsby, and was a key member of the Dublin administration. As a convinced Tory, he sought to "pack" local councils with politically reliable sheriffs and justices of the peace. In Dublin itself the results were disastrous: a Whig Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sir John Eccles, was elected but the Crown refused to recognise his election, and for two years the capital had no effective Government.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Sir Constantine Henry Phipps (1656–1723) was an English-born lawyer who held the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His term of office was marked by bitter political faction-fighting and he faced repeated calls for his removal. His descendants held the titles Earl of Mulgrave and Marquess of Normanby. Sir William Phips, the Governor of Massachusetts 1692–94, was his first cousin.