By Bob Solly

This article was originally published in the November 1998 edition of Soul Search, the journal of The Sole Society.

Sir Frederick Flood, an Irish politician, was the younger son of John Flood of Farmley, Co. Kilkenny and nephew of Warden Flood, Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench in Ireland, the father of the Rt. Hon. Henry Flood. 

He was born in 1741 and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he proceeded BA in 1761, MA in 1764, LL.B in 1766 and LL.D in 1772. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1763, and soon attained considerable success both in legal practice and in the social circles of Dublin, in which he was immensely popular from his wit and oddity. He succeeded to handsome estates both from his father and his mother, and, in 1776 he was elected to the Irish House of Commons as member for Co. Wexford.

His relationship to Henry Flood did more for his reputation than his own abilities, and with commendable prudence he consistently followed in his cousin's footsteps. In 1778 be was made a KC and elected a bencher of the Kings Inns, and on 3 June 1780 he was created a baronet of Ireland 'of Newton Ormonde, Co. Kilkenny, and Banna Lodge, Co. Wexford'. Two years later he married Lady Annesley, daughter of the fifth Earl of Anglesey, and he took a prominent part in the volunteer movement, being elected Colonel of the Wexford Regiment.

In all the great debates which preceded the abolition of the Irish Parliament. Flood was a frequent speaker. Sir Jonah Barrington calls him an ostentatious blunderer, whose bulls did not contain the pith of sound sense which underlay the mistakes of Sir BoyIe Roche. He adds that Flood would rashly accept any suggestions made to him while speaking, and one day, just after he had declared "that magistrates of Wexford deserved the thanks of the Lord Lieutenant" he added, on some wit's suggestion, "and should be whipped at the cart's tail". (Barrington Personal Sketches, i, III). He steadily opposed the Act of Union, but when that measure was carried, he did not retire from politics, but sat in the united House of Commons for the County of Wexford from 1800 to 1818. He made no particular impression there, but was appointed Lord‑Lieutenant of Wexford in 1814.

His only son died unmarried in 1800 and it was proposed to perpetuate Flood's title by creating him a baronet of the United Kingdom, with remainder to his only daughter Frances, who was married to Richard Solly, esq. He died before the patent for this new honour had passed the great seal on 1 February 1824, and left his estates to his grandson, Richard Solly, who look the name of Flood in addition to his own.

From The Dictionary of National Biography. Acknowledgements to the Flood Floyd archive.

Return to The Sole Society Home Page