Sir Denis Henry, 1st Baronet

Sir Denis Stanislaus Henry, 1st Baronet KBE, PC, QC (7 March 1864 – 1 October 1925), was an Irish lawyer and politician who became the first Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

Henry was born in Cahore, Draperstown, County Londonderry, the son of prosperous Roman Catholic businessman. He was educated at Marist College, Dundalk, Mount St Mary's College, Chesterfield (a Jesuit foundation) and Queen's College, Belfast, where he won every law scholarship open to a student and many other prizes and exhibitions. In 1885, he was called to the Irish Bar.

During the general election campaign of 1895, Henry spoke in support of unionist candidates in two constituencies: Thomas Lea in South Londonderry, Henry's native constituency, and E. T. Herdman in East Donegal.

Henry's legal career flourished - he became Queen's Counsel in 1896, a Bencher of the King's Inns in 1898 and ultimately Father of the North-West Circuit - but his interest in politics did not diminish. By March 1905, he was a delegate at the inaugural meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council and the Unionist Parliamentary candidate for the ultra-marginal North Tyrone seat.

On 23 May 1916, in the first by-election to be held in Ireland after the Easter rebellion, he was elected MP for South Londonderry. The rebellion had had no discernible impact on the contest.

In November 1918, he became Solicitor-General for Ireland and in July 1919, Attorney General for Ireland. He later served as the first Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1925. In 1923, he was created a Baronet, of Cahore in the County of Londonderry.

He married Violet Holmes, daughter of Hugh Holmes, judge of the Irish Court of Appeal. They had five children, including James Holmes Henry, who succeeded as second baronet.

He died in 1925, aged 61, and was buried near his native Draperstown.

References

• Leigh Rayment's List of Baronets
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Gordon	Member of Parliament for South Londonderry 1916–1921	Succeeded by Robert Chichester
Legal offices
Preceded by John Blake Powell	Solicitor-General for Ireland 1918–1919	Succeeded by Daniel Martin Wilson
Preceded by Arthur Warren Samuels	Attorney-General for Ireland 1919–1921	Succeeded by Thomas Watters Brown
New office	Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland 1922–1925	Succeeded by William Moore
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Baronet (of Cahore) 1923–1925	Succeeded by James Holmes Henry