Flood

Flood, HENRY, Irish orator, was born in 1732, and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and at Christ Church, Oxford. Elected to the Irish parliament as member for Kilkenny in 1759, and for Callan in 1761, he soon became a leader in the popular party. His oratory was vigorous and impressive, but was marked by all the offensive personalities of his time. In 1769 he was unfortunate enough to kill an electioneering opponent in a duel, and was brought to trial, but acquitted. In 1775 he took office as vice-treasurer of Ireland, but was removed in 1781 on account of his strong nationalist sympathies. Disliking Grattan's Irish Bill of Right as not going far enough, Flood strove without success to carry a more sweeping measure, and became involved in a bitter quarrel with his former friend, which would have resulted in a duel but for the timely intervention of the authorities. In 1783 he was returned for Winchester to the English House of Commons, and two years later for Seaford, but he failed to make as great a mark at Westminster as in Dublin. He died at Farmley, his seat near Kilkenny, December 2, 1791, leaving £5000 a year to Trinity College, Dublin. See his Life and Correspondence, edited by W. Flood (Lond. 1838).