James Sadleir
Encyclopedia
James Sadleir was a member
(MP) of the British House of Commons
, chiefly notable for being one of the few members expelled by that body. Sadleir was the son of Clement William Sadleir of Shrone Hill, County Tipperary
. His brother John
, with whom he was involved in the Tipperary Joint Stock Bank, was MP for Carlow Borough
from 1847.
candidate for the Tipperary constituency
in the 1852 election
and initially refused, but was eventually induced to accept; he was formally nominated by the incumbent, Nicholas Maher, and was elected easily.
He supported the idea of religious equality in Ireland, although without much enthusiasm for the Roman Catholic
priests in his county who passed a vote of censure in April 1853. His brother served in Lord Aberdeen
's government
as a Junior Lord of the Treasury
from December 1852 to January 1854 when he resigned, having been implicated in an attempt to imprison a depositor of the Tipperary Joint Stock Bank who had refused to vote for him.
, who had been the principal creditor of the bank, committed suicide
on Hampstead Heath
. He sent a suicide note to James' wife Emma which read "James is not to blame–I alone have caused all this dreadful ruin. James was to me too fond a brother but he is not to blame for being deceived and led astray by my diabolical acts. Be to him at this moment all the support you can. Oh what I would not suffer with gladness to save those whom I have ruined. My end will prove at least that I was not callous to their agony." It was found by the Irish courts that John Sadleir had begun to abstract money from the bank from about the end of 1854, and took a total of £
288,000.
4d.
It was recognised that he would inevitably bear the brunt of the failure, and The Times
reported that there was "a wide-spread feeling of pity" for him as he was already a ruined man. Other creditors of the bank rushed to try to recover their money from him. An early judgment absolved the managers of the bank of responsibility, but was soon reversed. The court inquiries disclosed letters written from John to James which implicated him in organising the frauds. However, Sadleir absconded on 17 June. Questions were asked why no criminal charges had been brought against him by this stage, any previous sympathy for his position having disappeared. Charges were brought on 18 July.
newspaper reported that the police were on the wrong scent in looking in New Orleans
, as he had made his way to South America
. By February 1857, all patience was at an end, and the Attorney-General for Ireland
successfully moved for Sadleir's expulsion for failing to surrender to the warrants for his arrest. A letter was read in the debate which placed Sadleir in Paris
where he dined every day at the Palais Royal. He was expelled by the House on 16 February. His estates and those of his wife were seized by creditors and sold.
in 1861, living in Geneva
and then Zürich
.
Twenty years later, while taking his regular walk up the Zürichberg
, Sadleir came upon a thief intent on robbing him of his gold watch. He resisted and was shot dead, his body being concealed in the thicket by the side of the path where it was discovered a week later. His funeral was well-attended. His will was dated 23 May 1856, although the executors suspected that he may have made a later will which they were unable to find.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) of the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, chiefly notable for being one of the few members expelled by that body. Sadleir was the son of Clement William Sadleir of Shrone Hill, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. His brother John
John Sadleir
John Sadleir was an Irish financier and politician.He entered the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1847 as a Member of Parliament for Carlow...
, with whom he was involved in the Tipperary Joint Stock Bank, was MP for Carlow Borough
Carlow Borough (UK Parliament constituency)
Carlow Borough was a Parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
from 1847.
Entry to politics
James Sadleir was approached to stand as a LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate for the Tipperary constituency
Tipperary (UK Parliament constituency)
Tipperary, also known as Tipperary County, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which from 1801 to 1885 returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:...
in the 1852 election
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
and initially refused, but was eventually induced to accept; he was formally nominated by the incumbent, Nicholas Maher, and was elected easily.
He supported the idea of religious equality in Ireland, although without much enthusiasm for the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
priests in his county who passed a vote of censure in April 1853. His brother served in Lord Aberdeen
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen KG, KT, FRS, PC , styled Lord Haddo from 1791 to 1801, was a Scottish politician, successively a Tory, Conservative and Peelite, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1852 until 1855.-Early life:Born in Edinburgh on 28 January 1784, he...
's government
Aberdeen Ministry
-The Cabinet:† After June 1854 office became Secretary of State for War.Notes*Lord John Russell served as Leader of the House of Commons from December 1852 to February 1855.Changes...
as a Junior Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
from December 1852 to January 1854 when he resigned, having been implicated in an attempt to imprison a depositor of the Tipperary Joint Stock Bank who had refused to vote for him.
Banking scandal
The scandal that led to both of their downfall arose through the crash of the Tipperary Bank in February 1856. The Bank's London agents, Glyn and Co., refused to pay on draughts of the bank, returning them with the words "not provided for". The Bank of Ireland continued to pay as usual for a week more, resulting in a rush of investors withdrawing their money there. Then, on 17 February, John SadleirJohn Sadleir
John Sadleir was an Irish financier and politician.He entered the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1847 as a Member of Parliament for Carlow...
, who had been the principal creditor of the bank, committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
. He sent a suicide note to James' wife Emma which read "James is not to blame–I alone have caused all this dreadful ruin. James was to me too fond a brother but he is not to blame for being deceived and led astray by my diabolical acts. Be to him at this moment all the support you can. Oh what I would not suffer with gladness to save those whom I have ruined. My end will prove at least that I was not callous to their agony." It was found by the Irish courts that John Sadleir had begun to abstract money from the bank from about the end of 1854, and took a total of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
288,000.
Investigations
James Sadleir was Chairman, Managing Director and a public agent of the bank, and on 29 February the first creditor sued him to recover £2,827 15s.Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
4d.
History of the British penny (1714-1901)
The History of the Penny of Great Britain and the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901 covers the period of the House of Hanover.-Silver pennies:...
It was recognised that he would inevitably bear the brunt of the failure, and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported that there was "a wide-spread feeling of pity" for him as he was already a ruined man. Other creditors of the bank rushed to try to recover their money from him. An early judgment absolved the managers of the bank of responsibility, but was soon reversed. The court inquiries disclosed letters written from John to James which implicated him in organising the frauds. However, Sadleir absconded on 17 June. Questions were asked why no criminal charges had been brought against him by this stage, any previous sympathy for his position having disappeared. Charges were brought on 18 July.
Expelled from the House
No-one was entirely sure where Sadleir was. In September, a CarlowCarlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
newspaper reported that the police were on the wrong scent in looking in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, as he had made his way to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. By February 1857, all patience was at an end, and the Attorney-General for Ireland
Attorney-General for Ireland
The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Irish and then United Kingdom government office. The holder was senior to the Solicitor-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters...
successfully moved for Sadleir's expulsion for failing to surrender to the warrants for his arrest. A letter was read in the debate which placed Sadleir in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he dined every day at the Palais Royal. He was expelled by the House on 16 February. His estates and those of his wife were seized by creditors and sold.
Fate
On 13 May, a letter from Sadleir, posted in Paris, was published in the Dublin Evening Post. He denied involvement in the frauds, and stated that he had denounced his brother when he learnt what he had been doing. This apologia was swiftly countered by James Scully, his cousin who was also implicated in the scandal, who described James as a "notorious culprit". Sadleir was maintained by an annuity paid by his wife's family, the Wheatleys. He never returned to face justice, and moved to SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1861, living in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and then Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
Twenty years later, while taking his regular walk up the Zürichberg
Zürichberg
The Zürichberg is a wooded hill rising to 679 metres , overlooking Lake Zurich and located immediately to the east of the City of Zurich in Switzerland, between the valleys of the Limmat and the Glatt rivers...
, Sadleir came upon a thief intent on robbing him of his gold watch. He resisted and was shot dead, his body being concealed in the thicket by the side of the path where it was discovered a week later. His funeral was well-attended. His will was dated 23 May 1856, although the executors suspected that he may have made a later will which they were unable to find.