Thomas Coote

The Honourable Thomas Coote (c. 1655 – 24 April 1741) was an Irish politician and judge, who sat in the Irish House of Commons, and held office as Recorder of Dublin and as a judge of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland). Although he was generally liked and respected, he was removed from the Bench in 1714, and resumed his political career. He was the grandfather of the Earl of Bellomont (third creation), and a noted bibliophile.<ref>Ball, F. Elrington " The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926 Vol. 2 p.60</ref> Early life He was the third son of Richard Coote, 1st Baron Coote of Colooney and his wife Mary St. George, daughter of Sir George St. George. Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont (second creation), the controversial governor of New York and Massachusetts, was his eldest brother; Richard was born in 1636, but Thomas, who outlived him by forty years, must have been much younger than his brother. He was the heir of his uncle, also named Thomas Coote, of Cootehill, County Cavan. Thomas was "bred to the law": he entered Middle Temple in 1683, returned to Ireland in 1684 to practice at the Irish Bar, and entered the King's Inns the same year. Judge