Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/MacMahon, William
MACMAHON, Sir WILLIAM (1776–1837), Irish judge, second son of John MacMahon, patentee comptroller of the port of Limerick, by his second wife, Mary, daughter of James Stackpoole, merchant, of Cork, was born on 12 July 1776. Bred a Roman catholic, he conformed to the protestant religion, was called to the Irish bar in Trinity term 1799, and went the Munster circuit with O'Connell. He was a fluent, but confused speaker, spluttering much and frequently perpetrating bulls while addressing the jury. His rise was rapid. On 28 April 1800 he was made third Serjeant, on 8 Dec. 1813 second Serjeant, and on 1 March 1814 master of the rolls. On 6 May 1814 he received a baronetcy. From 1815 to 1825, during the absences of Lord-chancellor Manners, he was one of the commissioners of the great seal. He held the office of master of the rolls until his death at Dublin on 13 Jan. 1837. He was buried at Rathfarnham on 21 Jan. MacMahon was a cautious, painstaking, and impartial judge, and was widely respected. He married twice: first, on 16 May 1807, Frances, daughter of Beresford Burton, king's counsel; secondly, on 1 Sept. 1814, Charlotte, daughter of Robert Shaw of Dublin, bart. By his first wife he had two sons, Sir Beresford, who succeeded to the title, and John William. By his second wife he had issue five sons and three daughters.
Sir Charles MacMahon (1824–1891), the third son of his second marriage, born at Fortfield, co. Dublin, on 11 July 1824, entered the army in 1842, and served with the 71st (highland) light infantry in Canada, and with the 10th hussars in India; retired, with the rank of captain, in 1851; and in January 1863 entered the Melbourne police, of which soon afterwards he was appointed chief commissioner. He retired from office in 1858, and in 1861 entered the Legislative Assembly as member for West Bourne; was a member without office of Sir John O'Shanessy's third administration, 1861-3; was speaker of the assembly from 1871 to 1877, and for a few months in 1880, and from 1880 to 1886 represented West Melbourne. He was created a knight bachelor in 1875, and died in East Melbourne on 28 Aug. 1891. He married, first, Miss Sophia Campbell; secondly, Clara Ann, daughter of J. D. Webster of Yea, Victoria.
[Wilson's Dublin Directory, 1800; Haydn's Book of Dignities, ed. Ockerby; Smyth's Law Officers of Ireland; Lib. Hibern. pt. iii. pp. 61, 63, 71; Gent. Mag. 1837, pt. i. p. 428; O'Flanagan's Lives of the Lord Chancellors of Ireland, ii. 656, and The Munster Circuit, p. 160; Army List, 1843-51; Mennell's Dict. of Austral. Biog.; Heaton's Austral. Dict. of Dates.]