Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Corry, Isaac
CORRY, ISAAC (1755–1813), Irish politician, born in Newry in 1755, son of Edward Corry, a merchant in Newry and sometime M.P. for that town, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and entered as a student at the King's Inns, but he never became a barrister. In 1776 he was elected M.P. for Newry in his father's room. He soon made his mark in the Irish House of Commons as a ready speaker and distinguished himself in the volunteer movement of 1783, when he played a part on the popular side, and acted as a delegate in the convention. He was a purely professional politician, and as he was by no means a rich man he was bought over by the government of the Marquis of Buckingham, and appointed surveyor-general of the ordnance in Ireland in 1788. He now became a warm supporter of the administration, and in 1789 was promoted to be a commissioner of the revenue for his fidelity during the debates on the regency in the Irish parliament. When the question of the union came on after the suppression of the insurrection of 1798, Corry came to the front, and on the resignation of Sir John Parnell he was sworn of the Irish privy council and made chancellor of the Irish exchequer. In the debates on the question in the session of 1799 he was the principal speaker on behalf of the measure—for Lord Castlereagh, who had charge of it, was notoriously a bad orator—and as a reward he was appointed surveyor-general of crown lands and manors in Ireland for life. In the session of 1800, the last session of the Irish parliament, Corry was again the chief speaker on the government side, and answered Grattan when that great orator took his seat in order to oppose the union on 16 Jan. 1800. The opposition between Grattan and Corry became more and more bitter, until at last, on 18 Feb., after Corry had accused Grattan of being familiar with traitors and conniving at their plans, Grattan answered him in a speech ‘full of foul and opprobrious epithets, such as it was not possible for a gentleman to submit to’ (Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 195). Corry therefore sent a hostile message to him by Colonel Cradock, afterwards Sir John Francis Caradoc, Lord Howden [q. v.], and a duel took place between the two opponents at Ball's Bridge before the sitting of the house was over. At the first exchange of shots Corry was wounded in the arm, but he insisted on a second fire, when Grattan fired over his head, though he declares he might easily have killed him. It was absurdly said that this duel was the first of a series determined on by the castle authorities which was to remove the prominent members of the opposition. Corry lost his seat for Newry for the first united parliament, but was elected for Dundalk, for which he sat until 1802, when he was successful at Newry. He retained his office as chancellor of the Irish exchequer until 1804, when he was succeeded by the Right Hon. John Foster, and was sworn of the English privy council; but he did not succeed in the English House of Commons, where, according to the younger Henry Grattan, ‘his tones altered, he was cringing and creeping, begging pardon of the house for taking up their time with Irish affairs’ (Life and Times of Grattan, v. 106). After leaving office in 1804 he was neglected by the government, who left him to die unregarded, according to the same authority. He was defeated at Newry in 1806 and 1807, but was elected in the former year for Newport (I.W.) He lived to repent the union, which had destroyed his political importance, and died unmarried at his house in Merrion Square, Dublin, on 15 May 1813. In the ‘Life and Times of Grattan’ (v. 104–6), it is said: ‘He was unquestionably a man of talents … In early life he began with the people, though he ended against them, and like most renegades … he ran violently into the other extreme. … He was bribed by the court and his wants compelled him to sell the country. … In early life he was a close acquaintance of Mr. Grattan, and a frequent visitor to Tinnehinch … As a person of no property, he was over-placed and over-salaried. … As a speaker he was short, pointed, and neat, and what he said was delivered with elegance and address; his manner was graceful and better than his matter; his person was pleasing, and his voice clear and harmonious; his invectives were good, and he possessed much spirit; in personality he was better than in argument; he was a brave man but a bad reasoner, and was always ready to back what he said with his sword.’
[For biographical details we are indebted to Mr. Joseph Foster, the genealogist; for Corry's career during the debates on the union see Life and Times of Grattan, Sir Jonah Barrington's Memoirs, and Coote's History of the Union. Gent. Mag. 1813, pt. i. 591, gives date of death only.]