Joshua Dawson

Joshua Dawson was an Irish public servant, land developer and politician. He was appointed clerk to the Chief Secretary of Ireland, Matthew Prior, in 1697. In that role he petitioned for the establishment of a Paper & Patent Office. He became the Collector of Dublin in 1703, and held the office of Chief Secretary for Ireland to the Lords Justices from 1710 under Queen Anne. He was a Member of Parliament (M.P.) in the Irish House of Commons for Wicklow Borough from 1705 to 1714.
He developed an area of Dublin in 1705-1710 which included the setting out and construction of the streets of Dawson Street, Anne Street, Grafton Street and Harry Street. These were named after, respectively, himself, Queen Anne (widow of William III), and Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Grafton (the son of Charles II and cousin of Queen Anne). This development included the construction of the Mansion House in Dawson Street in 1710 which was purchased in 1715 to be the official residence of the Mayor of Dublin - which it has remained for 300 years.
Dawson resided in County Londonderry and Dublin. Dawson’s ancestral family had owned land and lived in the area where he founded Dawson’s Bridge in 1710 (named after the bridge over the River Moyola), which was to become present-day Castledawson. In his estate he built Moyola House in 1713.

Dawson was born in 1660 at the family seat (which became Castledawson, County Londonderry), the son of Thomas Dawson, Commissary of the Musters of the Army in Ireland. He married Anne Carr, in January 1695/96 and had six children: Mary, William, Charles, Anne Elizabeth, Eleanor, Arthur, Joseph and Arabella. He died on 3 March 1725. Notable relatives included Henry Richard Dawson, Robert Dawson, Sackville Hamilton, Henry Hamilton (governor) and Henry Hamilton (politician).