Richard Wilson Greene

Robert, originally from York, was an author and playwright, who was deputy manager of the Theatre Royal, Dublin: he is best remembered for his book An Historical View of the Irish Stage.

As a young barrister he attended (without a brief) the hearing of R. v Waller O'Grady, a much publicised quo warranto case concerning the power of patronage of Standish O'Grady, the Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, who had sought to appoint his younger son Waller to the office of Clerk of the Pleas in the Court of Exchequer.

The choice of Greene for the position was an interesting one since he was generally regarded as a political opponent of the Government of the day.

According to Elrington Ball, his appointment to the Bench was due to the personal regard which Lord Derby, the Prime Minister, who had known him for many years, had for him.

[9] There was also a family connection to another eminent judge, Sir Samuel Walker, 1st Baronet, whose first wife was Greene's niece Cecilia, daughter of his brother Arthur.