Robert Hellen
{{Short description|Irish politician and judge}}
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Robert Hellen (born 1725, died 1793 in Donnybrook, Dublin){{Rayment-hc-ie|date=March 2012}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRMwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR124|title=Reliques of Irish poetry |publisher=J. Christie|year=1816|author=Charlotte Brooke|editor= Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour|editor-link= Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour|accessdate=2010-12-30}} was an Irish politician, Solicitor-General, and judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland).
Early life
He was born at Whitehaven, Cumberland, son of Robert Hellen senior.Ball, p.218 His family moved to Dublin where he was educated at Trinity College Dublin, taking his degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1746 and Bachelor of Laws in 1749. He entered Middle Temple in 1749 and was called to the Irish bar in 1755. He became King's Counsel in 1774.
Career
He became the Member of Parliament for Bannow in 1768 and Fethard (County Wexford) in 1776. He was appointed as Solicitor-General in 1777, and a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1779.Ball, F. Elrington "The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921" John Murray London 1926 Vol.2 p.164
Family
He married Dorothea Daniel of Dublin in 1761; Dorothea was wealthy but it may have been a love marriage since she was also noted for beauty and charm.Ball, p.218 They had four daughters.
Character
When young he was described rather sentimentally as "a youth of fair fame and gentle endowments".Ball, p.164 In later life he was noted for his literary tastes: he enjoyed the company of poets and writers like Charlotte Brooke, and built up an impressive library and picture collection. He was considered a poor politician, but a learned judge.Ball, pp.164,179
References
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{{s-bef| before = Henry Mitchell
Henry Loftus }}
{{s-ttl| title = Member of Parliament for Bannow
| with = Charles Tottenham
| years = 1768–1776 }}
{{s-aft| after = Henry Loftus
Nicholas Loftus Tottenham }}
{{s-bef| before = John Tottenham
Arthur Loftus }}
{{s-ttl| title = Member of Parliament for Fethard (County Wexford)
| with = Charles Loftus
| years = 1776–1779 }}
{{s-aft| after = Charles Loftus
Ponsonby Tottenham }}
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{{succession box | title = Solicitor-General for Ireland | years = 1777–1779 | before = John Scott | after = Hugh Carleton}}
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{{Solicitors-General for Ireland}}
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Category:Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Wexford constituencies
Category:Solicitors-general for Ireland