Thomas Dongan (judge)

[2] He amassed considerable wealth, in addition to the lands he had inherited from his father, although he was to lose virtually all of his property and money during the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

His appointment was probably something of a last minute choice, as he replaced Thomas Bavand of Chester, who had died suddenly in England before he could travel to Ireland to take up office.

He gained no permanent benefit from his support for the Cromwellian regime, which regarded him with a good deal of suspicion, due to his Anglo-Irish background and his numerous Catholic relatives.

[2] His family life was marked by tragedy: his eldest son William was killed in 1645 at the storming of Leicester on the eve of the Battle of Naseby, and his first wife Grace died soon afterwards.

He was a man with a strong sense of family loyalty, and during his brief period of influence during Oliver Cromwell's regime, he is said to have used his position to assist his Royalist relatives, who were threatened with forfeiture of their estates.

[5] After the Restoration of Charles II, Dongan, who was living in a state of dire poverty, begged to be reappointed to the Bench, despite his age, ill health, Catholic sympathies and dubious political loyalties.

While his service under Cromwell led to understandable accusations of treachery to the Stuart dynasty, or at least time-serving, it should also be remembered that he used his position to assist relatives in distress.