Pery, Edmond Henry (1758–1845), 1st earl of Limerick, and politician, was born 8 January 1758, the only son of William Cecil Pery, clergyman and later bishop of Limerick (1784–94) and Baron Glentworth, and his first wife, Jane Pery (née Walcott). He was the nephew and heir of Edmond Sexten Pery (qv), 1st Viscount Pery, the speaker of the Irish house of commons. Educated by a private tutor and then at TCD, he left without taking a degree. In 1775 he entered Lincoln's Inn before embarking on a tour of the Continent. Returning to Ireland, he was a Volunteer colonel in 1783 before entering parliament as MP for Limerick city (1786–94). Pery had little talent, and even less tact, but this did not prevent him from becoming a success in the commons. His loyalty towards the government was never in dispute, and he had an unerring ability to choose the winning side on a question; even when he made the wrong decision, he usually managed to turn it to his advantage. Jonah Barrington (qv) described him as ‘always crafty, sometimes impetuous, and frequently efficient’ (Historic memoirs, ii, 122), and was a little envious of the ease with which he strolled through political life.
His father, who had been created Baron Glentworth of Mallow in the peerage of Ireland in 1790, died on 4 July 1794 and Pery succeeded to the title. Taking his seat in the Irish house of lords, he was rewarded for his consistent support of the government with a number of sinecures, becoming keeper of the signet and privy seal (1795–7) and clerk of the crown and hanaper (1797–1806). He became a privy counsellor on 29 June 1797. Despite his success he was never widely respected, and was generally regarded as too proud for his own good. When a legislative union was proposed in 1799, his uncle attempted to raise opposition, but Pery's allegiances were never in doubt. He took a leading stand in favour of the measure in the house of lords, and was rewarded with one of the twenty-eight representative peerages granted under the act of union. On 29 December 1800 he was created Viscount Limerick of the city of Limerick, and took his seat in the new united parliament. This honour was followed with an even greater one in 1803: he was created earl of Limerick (also in the Irish peerage) on 1 January. He did not take a prominent role in politics after the union, but spoke consistently against any further concessions to the catholics, and occasionally on other Irish issues. On 11 August 1815 he became a peer of the United Kingdom when he was created Baron Foxford of Stackpole Court, Co. Clare.
Retiring to his estates at Southill Park in Berkshire, he spent little time in Ireland in his final years. He died 7 December 1844 and was buried at Limerick cathedral. His unpopularity in the county created some problems at his funeral. A large mob gathered to cheer his death, and attempted unsuccessfully to dump his coffin in the river. He married (29 January 1783) Mary Alice Ormsby, of Cloghan, Co. Mayo; they had three sons and seven daughters. He was succeeded as 2nd earl of Limerick by his grandson, William Tenison Pery, his own sons having predeceased him.