Background

He was born in Kildare

Kildare

-External links:*******...

, son of Ignatius Hussey of Donore House, near Naas

Naas

Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...

, and his wife Elizabeth Burgh. Walter adopted the surname Burgh as a condition for inheriting an estate in Limerick

Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

 from his uncle. In 1767 he married Anne de Burgh, sister of the statesman William de Burgh

William de Burgh

William de Burgh, founder of the de Burgh/Burke/Bourke family of Ireland, d. 1206.-In Ireland:He arrived in Ireland in 1185 and was closely associated with Prince John....

 and they had a son and five daughters. Anne died in 1782.

Career

He was called to the Bar in 1769 and within a few years became one of its leaders. He entered the Irish House of Commons

Irish House of Commons

The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...

 in the same year sitting first for Athy

Athy

The town developed from a 12th century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important British military outpost on the border of the Pale.The first town charter dates from the 16th century and the town hall was constructed in the early 18th century...

, later for the University of Dublin

University of Dublin

The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...

. In Parliament he was a close associate of Henry Grattan

Henry Grattan

Henry Grattan was an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century. He opposed the Act of Union 1800 that merged the Kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain.-Early life:Grattan was born at...

 and a supporter of his " free trade" programme; he became legendary for his oratory.He was appointed prime sergeant in 1776, resigned the office in 1779 but was re-appointed in 1782. A month later he was appointed Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer but died the following year at the assizes in Armagh

Armagh

Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

, reportedly from gaol fever.

Speeches

He was regarded as one of the greatest orators of his time; unfortunately the Irish House of Commons had no equivalent of Hansard

Hansard

Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...

and his speeches survive only in fragments. Memorable sayings include-

"Talk not to me of peace. Ireland is not at peace, it is smothered war. England has sown her laws as dragon's teeth, and they have sprung up as armed men."

"Our members are returned by the fear or dependence, not the affection or choice of the electoral body.Unaccountable for their conduct in Parliament ,their venality is unrestrained and universal corruption reigns in the House."
'
"I never will support any Government in fraudulently concealing from the King the rights of his people."
'

Character

Hussey Burgh seems to have been universally liked: " mild, moderate and patriotic...friendly to a fault, and disinterested to a weakness...honest without affluence and ambitious without corruption. " His one fault , it was generally agreed, was extravagance : his early death left his children unprovided for, and Grattan persuaded the Commons to vote them a pension.