Patrick Bermingham

Patrick Bermingham (c.1460–1532) was an Irish judge and statesman of the Tudor period who held the offices of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland. He was a firm supporter of English rule in Ireland and enjoyed the confidence of Henry VIII, who regarded him as a mainstay of the Irish administration.

Background

He was born in Corbally,

.

Not much is known about Patrick's own parents, except that they had another son, John, who was the elder. Patrick, like many younger sons of landed families, chose the law as his profession, probably following in the steps of his cousin Philip Bermingham, who was Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in the 1480s. He entered Lincoln's Inn in 1478.^[2] On the death of his brother John in 1483 he inherited the family estates.^{[citation needed]} He resided in England for some years but returned to Ireland before 1503.^{[citation needed]}

Career

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He became a clerk in the Court of Exchequer (Ireland); from this relatively junior position, he rose quickly to the office of Lord Chief Justice in 1513.^[3] For the next twenty years Irish politics was dominated by the struggle between the faction led by the 9th Earl of Kildare, who succeeded to his father's title in 1513, and his opponents; Elrington Ball states that Bermingham was one of the few public figures who remained above partisan politics, his sole aim, as far as can be judged, being to maintain peace and good order.^[4] This is borne out by the favourable account of Bermingham's conduct given by the Lord Deputy of Ireland, the Earl of Surrey, who spent much of 1520–21 putting down an insurrection which he suspected, with good reason, had been instigated by the Earl of Kildare. Norfolk praised Bermingham and Patrick Finglas, the Lord Chief Baron, as "the best willed and most diligent to do the King's Grace true and faithful service of all the learned men of this land".^[5]

Bermingham was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, was made a member of the Privy Council, and as a mark of special favour was given a fresh patent as Lord Chief Justice under the

. As another mark of Royal favour, he was given permission to leave Ireland whenever he wished. This was a significant privilege at a time when the movements of Irish officials, even those considered loyal to the Crown, were carefully watched, and all foreign travel, even a simple crossing to England, required permission from the Crown.

After Norfolk's recall to England, Bermingham worked closely with the

. When Bermingham died in 1532 the political situation in Ireland was as unsettled as ever.

Marriage and children

He married Katherine Preston, daughter of

Character

Ball praises him as a man of integrity and moderation, who was dedicated to the maintenance of good order in Ireland.

Notes

References

• F. Elrington Ball (1926). The Judges in Ireland, 1221-1921. The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. pp. 192–193.
  ISBN 978-1-58477-428-0
  .
• Martin, Charles Trice (1885). "Bermingham, Patrick" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Legal offices
Preceded by John Topcliffe	Lord Chief Justice of Ireland 1513–1532	Succeeded by Sir Bartholomew Dillon