Sir John Esmonde, 10th Baronet

Sir John Esmonde, 10th Baronet (16 May 1826 – 9 December 1876) was an Irish nationalist politician. He sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1852 until his death 25 years later.

Esmonde was the son of Royal Navy officer James Esmonde and his wife Anna Maria, née Murphy. He was educated at Clongowes Wood College and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated in 1850 with an honours degreee in classics.

He was called to the bar of Ireland in the same year.

In 1861 he married Louisa Grattan, the fourth daughter of Henry Grattan MP, and granddaughter of 18th-century parliamentary leader Henry Grattan. They had four sons and two daughters,Thomas, Laurence, Walter, John, Ellice, and Annette.

In 1868, he inherited the baronetcy and estates of his uncle Thomas.

He was elected at the 1852 general election as one of the two members of parliament (MPs) for County Waterford. Both Esmonde and his fellow Waterford MP Nicholas Mahon Power were elected as candidates of the Irish Liberal Party, which had been in alliance with nationalists. Power was accused of acting selfishly and parsimoniously" to Esmonde, who was described at the time as hoisting "free trade and liberal colours". Esmonde's election was the subject of a petition by the defeated Conservative candidate Richard Hely-Hutchinson, who alleged personation and intimidation. The names of people who were not entitled to vote were struck off the return, but Esmonde's election was upheld.

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