John Wilson Croker (1780-1857) was born in Galway. His father, John, was for many years Surveyor General of Customs and Excise in Ireland; his mother, Hester, was the daughter of Revd Richard Rathbone of County Galway. Croker was educated in Cork and Portarlington before entering Trinity College, Dublin, in November 1796. In 1800 he entered Lincoln's Inn as a student and was called to the Irish bar in 1802. From May 1804 until May 1807 Croker held the post of Customs comptroller of Wexford, Waterford and Ross; and he was secretary to the Admiralty, October 1809 to November 1830. He was elected Member of Parliament for Downpatrick in 1807, a seat which he held until 1812. Croker was subsequently Member of Parliament for Athlone, 1812-18, for Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 1819-20, for Bodmin, 1820-6, for Aldeburgh, 1826-7, for Dublin University, 1827-30 and Aldeburgh, 1830-2. A quarrel with Robert Peel, together with Croker's die-hard opposition to reform, concluded his parliamentary career in 1832. He continued to exercise influence for the Conservative Party, editing the QUARTERLY REVIEW and contributing articles for the rest of his life. In May 1806 Croker married Rosamund Carrington whose father, William Pennell, was deputy comptroller of Customs and later British consul to South America.
From the guide to the Correspondence between J. W. Croker and the third Viscount Palmerston, 1810-1856, (University of Southampton Libraries Special Collections)
