Background
Thomas Francis Kennedy was born in 1788 in the United Kingdom.
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Thomas Francis Kennedy
Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
Thomas Francis Kennedy was a Scottish politician, was born near Ayr in 1788.
Education
Thomas Francis Kennedy studied for the bar.
Career
One of the first measures to which he directed his attention was the withdrawal of the power of nominating juries from the judges, and the imparting of a right of peremptory challenge to prisoners. Among other subjects were the improvement of the parish schools, of pauper administration, and of several of the corrupt forms of legal procedure which then prevailed. Kennedy took a prominent part in the construction of the Scottish Reform Act 1832.
Indeed Thomas Francis Kennedy and Lord Cockburn may almost be regarded as its authors. After the accession of the Whigs to office in 1832 he held office in the ministry as Clerk of the Ordinance in 1832 and as a Junior Lord of the Treasury from 1832 to 1834, and most of the measures of reform for Scotland, such as burgh reform, the improvements in the law of entail, and the reform of the sheriff courts, owed much to his sagacity and energy. In 1837 he went to Ireland as pay master of civil services, and set himself to the promotion of various measures of reform.
Kennedy retired from office in 1854, but continued to take keen interest in political affairs and up to his death in 1879 took a great part in both county and parish business. He had a stern love of justice, and a determined hatred of everything savouring of corruption or dishonesty.
Achievements
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Thomas Francis Kennedy devoted the greater part of his life to the promotion of Liberal reforms. Kennedy took a prominent part in the construction of the Scottish Reform Act 1832.
Works
Connections
- friends:
- Henry Cockburn
