Did you know that the real Copper Face Jack was a Tipperary man?
Although the moniker is now synonymous with a nightclub on Harcourt Street in Dublin, Copper Face Jack (or Copper Faced Jack to be more accurate) was born in Tipperary on this day in 1739 and his real name was John Scott. He was a lawyer, Member of Parliament, and in 1793, he became the first Earl of Clonmell (as it was then spelled).
How he came to acquire he nickname ‘Copper-Faced Jack’ is a matter for debate. Rosemary Richey, writing in the Dictionary of Irish Biography, suggests his aggressiveness in argument and his bronzed skin tone earned him the name. Historian Myles Dungan suggests that his ‘incessant consumption of alcoholic beverages left him red-faced.’
Scott led a colourful life. He took part in no less than four duels which was often how disputes were settled in the 18th century in cases where there was no recourse to the law. Despite being a lawyer himself, Scott is quoted as saying that ‘in cases of this complexion, the courts will never interfere’.
Although a member of the Church of Ireland, Scott believed that Ireland would never be at peace until Catholics were emancipated but he urged the government to arrest the leaders of the United Irishmen in order to prevent full scale rebellion breaking out. In the event, Scott died before the rebellion took place.
He died at his home on Harcourt Street, Dublin in May 1798. His son, Thomas then became the 2nd Earl of Clonmell.
Sources:
https://mylesdungan.com/.../on-this-day-9-june-1739-the.../
https://www.dib.ie/biography/scott-john-a7949
https://www.historyireland.com/from-the-files-of-the-dib.../
