History: Nathaniel Clements has been largely overlooked by Irish historians. He was not a great parliamentary orator and has left no large collection of written work. During the mid-18th century, however, he was one of the most influential politicians and administrators in Ireland. He sat as an MP in the Irish Commons for a number of constituencies and also served successively as high sheriff for the counties of Cavan, Donegal and Leitrim, writes David Murphy
More importantly, he acted as teller of the exchequer from 1728 to 1755, effectively controlling Ireland's financial administration. Appointments as agent for military pensions and agent for the Irish regiments overseas further increased his wealth and influence.
His sons pursued careers in parliament or in the administration, while his four daughters married MPs. At the height of his career, therefore, he controlled a sizeable power base in the Irish Commons and enjoyed unfettered access to members of the royal family, royal mistresses, parliamentarians and successive lord lieutenants of Ireland.
Outside of politics, his energies seem to have been boundless. He amassed and administered large estates in counties Cavan, Donegal and Leitrim. He was a setter of fashion, a socialite, a property developer and an architect. In this latter capacity he designed the Phoenix Lodge in the Phoenix Park, which became the viceregal lodge in 1782 and is now Áras an Uachtaráin. While his reputation suffered in the aftermath of the money bill crisis of 1753 and the collapse of a banking venture in 1759, the Irish administration benefited from his financial experience and acumen for decades.
APW Malcomson admits this book is not a standard biography, as the lack of written sources makes such a work impossible. It is rather an exploration of the financial practices and political manoeuvrings of Clements, illustrating how one man affected the governance of Ireland.
To a modern, politically jaded Irish eye, his methods would seem to provide enough material for a tribunal. Yet in his own time Clements was not viewed as corrupt, as his practices were in keeping with the politics of his era. He existed in an age when patronage, sinecures and the preferment system were an accepted part of the political scene.
In a broader sense, therefore, this is a study of the politics of Clements's age, examining the system and circumstances that facilitated his rise to prominence. This book will be of interest to anyone specialising in the history of 18th-century Ireland. For the more general reader, it is a fascinating case study of the attainment and use of political power.
David Murphy is an editorial assistant with the Dictionary of Irish Biography. He is the author of Ireland and the Crimean War (Four Courts, 2002) and The Arctic Fox: Francis Leopold McClintock (Collins Press, 2004)
Nathaniel Clements: Government and the Governing Elite in Ireland 1725-75. By APW Malcomson, Four Courts Press, 476pp. €65