James mcavoy tom lefroy biography

Irish-Huguenot politician and judge

Thomas Langlois Lefroy (8 January 1776 – 4 May 1869) was an Irish-Huguenot politician and judge. He served as an MP for the constituency of Dublin University in 1830–1841, Privy Councillor of Ireland in 1835–1869 and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1852–1866.

Early life

Thomas Lefroy was born in Limerick, Ireland.^[1] He had an outstanding academic record at Trinity College Dublin, from 1790 to 1793. His great-uncle, Benjamin Langlois, sponsored Tom's legal studies at Lincoln's Inn, London.

One year later, Lefroy served as Auditor of Trinity's College Historical Society, the still-active debating society of the college. Later still, he became a prominent member of the Irish bar (having been called to it in 1797) and published a series of Law Reports on the cases of the Irish Court of Chancery.^[2]

Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen

In 1796, Lefroy began a flirtation with Jane Austen, who was a frien