John Everard (MP)

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Sir John Everard (c. 1550 – 1624) was an Irish

Roman Catholic
faith. His religious beliefs eventually led to his enforced resignation from the Bench in 1607.

He then entered politics and was a member of the Irish Parliament of 1613–1615. The Catholic members elected him as speaker of the House of Commons and installed him in the speaker's chair, but due to the creation of new

pocket boroughs by James I, the Protestants had the majority and elected Sir John Davies. Everard, in a farcical scene, initially refused to vacate the chair until he was literally sat upon, which caused him to fall into disgrace for a time, but he was later restored to royal favour. His second son Sir Richard Everard was created the first of the Everard baronets of Ballyboy
.

Background

He was a native of Fethard, County Tipperary, and was the eldest son of Sir Redmond Everard, head of a Roman Catholic family which effectively owned the town of Fethard.[1] Nothing seems to be known about his mother.

He entered the

Chambers in the Inns, and initially, he and the Treasurer, Sir John Elliott of Balreask, were allowed to have their sons lodge with them, although this privilege was later withdrawn.[3]

In 1602 he was appointed a justice of the

assize in Meath, Louth and Kilkenny.[4]

Judicial career

While several Irish judges secretly remained loyal to the Roman Catholic faith, Everard was unique among the judges of his era in openly professing it, as did his brother James, who became a

sheriffs; the court was abolished by the County Palatine of Tipperary Act 1715, although that office was largely a sinecure, which was described contemptuously as "the judicial scrapheap". However, in the 1680s the workload was apparently heavy enough to require two judges.[6] He remained a member of the King's Inns, and was made a bencher in 1609.[7]

Civic improvements

Fethard- the old walls

He was effectively the owner of the town of Fethard, and he did much to improve it, laying out the main street and building the

almshouses in Fethard in 1611.[9]

Politics

In 1613 the only

Dublin, declared that Everard had been elected and he took the Speaker's chair. Matters then descended into farce when the Government declared that Davies had been elected Speaker: Everard, normally a man of good sense, foolishly refused to leave the chair until Davies, a very fat man, sat on him. Everard and his supporters then withdrew in protest.[12]

As a result of his conduct, he was summoned to England. He unsuccessfully tried to put the case of the Catholic MPs, was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and was expelled from the King's Inns.[13] He was soon freed, and on his return to Ireland he urged the Catholic community to show moderation, although he continued to press in Parliament for greater toleration for his co-religionists. Despite the debacle of his failed election as Speaker, he played an active role in the Parliament of 1613–5.[14]

He was readmitted to the King's Inns, at the request, perhaps surprisingly, of Lord Deputy Chichester. Despite their differences in matters of religion, the two men had become friends and business partners, and Chichester wrote to the Council of the King's Inns, praising Everard's good conduct in Parliament, and suggesting that a man who was "so worthy in everything except religion" should be readmitted.

polemics, but the two men seem to have avoided an open quarrel. Sibthorpe however was one of those who opposed Everard's readmission to the Inns, and more generally opposed the admission of Catholics to the Bar.[17]

Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester, a good friend to Everard despite their religious differences

Later years

After Chichester was recalled as Lord Deputy in 1616, Everard felt confident enough to write to the English Crown, urging the relaxation of the laws against

Anglo-Irish magnate Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, with whom he engaged in several business transactions, and whom he entertained at his home shortly before his death in 1624.[19]

Family

He married Catherine Comerford,[20] daughter of Fulke (or Fulco) Comerford of Callan, County Kilkenny and Rosina Rothe, and sister of his judicial colleague Gerald Comerford. Catherine probably died before 1624, as she was not mentioned in her husband's last will and testament.

John and Catherine had at least four sons, including:

  1. Nicholas, a barrister, who was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1604, and in 1607 to the King's Inns where, as a special privilege, he was allowed to share his father's chambers.[3]
  2. Richard, who in his father's lifetime was created a
    Cromwellian forces in 1651. He was reprieved, and died in prison about 1660.[21]
  3. Gilbert.
  4. John.

and also an unnamed daughter, who married Henry White fitzWhite.

Notes

  1. ^ Ball 1926, p. 227, line 26: "John Everard, knight; was son of Redmond Everard of Fethard in co. Tipperary;"
  2. ^ Kenny 1992, p. 70.
  3. ^ a b Kenny 1992, p. 86.
  4. ^ Ball 1926, p. 227, line 28: "[Everard] entered the Inner Temple in 1578, and was called to the bar there; became 2nd justice of the Queen's Bench in 1602;"
  5. ^ O'Hart 1892a, p. 187, left column, line 4: "2. Rev. James, b. [born] 1575; living in 1609; who was a member of the Society of Jesus."
  6. ^ Ball 1926, p. 360, line 28: "[Samuel Gorges] appears as a second judge of the palatinate of Tipperary 1682."
  7. ^ Kenny 1992, p. 201.
  8. ^ Kenny 1992, p. 81: "But he retained the confidence of senior government officials and benefited from certain dubious dealings in Irish land at the time."
  9. ^ Ball 1926, p. 227, bottom: "[Everard] obtained a charter for almshouses founded by him in Fethard in 1611;"
  10. ^ Ball 1926, p. 227, last line: "[Everard] became a knight of the shire for Tipperary 1613;"
  11. ^ Wedgwood 1961, p. 149: "... 132 Protestant MPs to 100 Catholics ..."
  12. ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 864, final line: "In the same year [1612] he entered the Irish Parliament as member for Fermanagh, and was elected speaker after a scene of disorder in which the Catholic nominee, Sir John Everard, who had been installed was forcibly ejected."
  13. ^ Ball 1926, p. 228, line 1: "[Everard] was nominated by the recusants as speaker; was afterwards summoned to England and was committed to the Tower;"
  14. ^ Mcgrath, Brid "Everard, Sir John" Cambridge Dictionary of Irish Biography
  15. ^ Kenny 1992, p. 93, some line.
  16. ^ Kenny 1992, p. 93, some other line: "With little evident enthusiasm, the council observed Chichester's wishes and readmitted Everard."
  17. ^ Kenny 1992, p. 93.
  18. ^ Crawford 2005, p. 322.
  19. ^ Ball 1926, p. 228: "[Everard} entertained the Earl of Cork at Fethard in the summer of 1624;"
  20. ^ O'Hart 1892a, p. 187, left column, line 11: "Married to Catherine Comerford."
  21. ^ O'Hart 1892b, p. 67: "In 1661, the male descendants of the eldest son of Sir John became extinct in the third generation. The second son was named Richard, who, a few years before his father's death, which occurred in 1624, was crested a Baronet."

References

  • OCLC 832154869
    .
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Davies, Sir John" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 07 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 864–865.
  • Crawford, Jon G. (2005). A Star Chamber Court in Ireland: The Court of Castle Chamber, 1571–1641. Dublin: Four Courts Press.
    ISBN 978-1-8518-2934-7
    .     – Snippet view
  • Kenny, Colum (1992). The King's Inns and the Kingdom of Ireland. Dublin: Irish Academic Press.
    ISBN 978-0-7165-2472-4
    . – Snippet view
  • OCLC 7239210
    . – Normans, English, Huguenots etc.
  • O'Hart, John (1892b). The Irish and Anglo-Irish Gentry. Dublin: James Duffy & Co.
  • Wedgwood, Cicely Veronica (1961). Thomas Wentworth, First Earl of Strafford 1593–1641. A Revaluation. London:
    OCLC 1068569885
    .
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