Thomas Marlay was an Irish politician and judge, who ended his career as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.
Background
He was born at Creevagh Beg, near Ballymahon, County Longford. His mother Elizabeth Morgan was the daughter of Robert Morgan of Cottlestown, County Sligo, and his wife Bridget Blayney of Castleblayney. His father Anthony Marlay was a recent arrival in Ireland from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where Thomas"s grandfather Sir John Marlay (1590-1673) had been a leading local politician, who served as both Mayor of Newcastle and its Member of Parliament.
He is chiefly remembered for his spirited defence of the town against the invading Scots army during the English Civil War.
Education
Thomas was educated at the University of Dublin, and unlike many barristers of his time was a considerable scholar, being awarded the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Laws.
Career
He is remembered chiefly for the rebuilding of Celbridge Abbey, and as the grandfather of the statesman Henry Grattan. From their beginnings as small tradesmen, the Marlays had risen rapidly to become among the wealthiest coal exporters in Newcastle. He was admitted to the Middle Temple, and was called to the Bar.
He rapidly built up a large practice at the Irish Bar, although Elrington Ball states that he was not highly regarded as a lawyer
An anonymous pamphlet from 1730, which took a somewhat jaundiced view of the Irish Bar generally, described him as "a sage refined": whether this tribute to his intellect was ironic or not is unclear. He was elected to the Irish House of Commons as member for Limavady in 1715, and as member for Lanesborough, 1727-1731.
He was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland in 1720 and Attorney-General for Ireland in 1727. He was elevated to the Bench as Lord Chief Baron in 1730 and became Lord Chief Justice of the King"s Bench in Ireland in 1741.
His most memorable trial as Lord Chief Justice was the so-called Annesley perjury case, Annesley v.
Lord Anglesey, in 1745. The trial was notable for lasting twenty-two hours without a single break and Marlay, who would normally have had 2 or 3 colleagues to support him, conducted it virtually singlehanded. A workload as heavy as Marlay"s was bound to affect his health, and from 1749 onwards he was too unwell to go on assize.
He retired on health grounds in 1751.
He was a popular figure and his death seems to have been genuinely mourned: a Dublin paper published verses praising his gentleness, perfect manners and scholarship (the last being rather unusual among Irish judges of the time). Marlay rebuilt Celbridge Abbey, which in its earlier form is still remembered today as the home of Esther Vanhomrigh, the beloved Vanessa of Jonathan Swift.
Their surviving children included Colonel Thomas Marlay. Richard Marlay, Bishop of Clonfert and later Bishop of Waterford.
Anthony, who inherited Celbridge Abbey.
And Mary, mother of the statesman Henry Grattan.