John Parker (Irish judge)

John Parker (c.1500–1564 ) was an English-born merchant, politician and judge in Tudor Ireland. He held the offices of Constable of Dublin Castle and Master of the Rolls in Ireland; the latter was a notable achievement for a man who began his career as a cloth-maker and appears to have had no legal training. As a politician he was noted for leading the opposition to the policies of the Earl of Sussex, the Lord Deputy of Ireland.

Background and business career

He was a native of Tenterden in Kent, where he was in business as a cloth-maker in the 1530s.^[1] Later in the decade he was attached to the household of Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, the Governor of Calais, in the same capacity. In Ireland, even while acting as a public servant he pursued his business interests, first as a ship-owner and then as a maker of hats and tapestries, and for this purpose obtained a royal licence to import dyed wool.^[2]

He was a sincere religious reformer, although like many reformers he personally did very well out of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. He received Selskar Abbey in Wexford, Rosbercon Abbey in Kilkenny, Holmpatrick Abbey near Skerries, Dublin and Tircroghan in Westmeath.^[3] In his last years he was attempting to purchase Kilcormac Abbey in County Offaly. Despite his apparent wealth he died in debt.

Selskar Abbey

Political and judicial career

He is first heard of in Ireland about 1540 as secretary to the Deputy, Sir Anthony St. Leger.^[4] He became Constable of Dublin Castle in 1543 and organised the defence of Carrickfergus in 1551. He entered the Irish House of Commons as member for Trim in 1559 and was a Royal Commissioner in Munster in 1562.

Although he held a number of quasi-judicial posts, such as Marshal of the Dublin Courts, these seem to have been sinecures. His appointment as Master of the Rolls in 1552 is therefore somewhat surprising; while not as senior an office as it later became it was nonetheless one which called for a qualified lawyer, and Parker seems to have had no legal training.^[5]

Dispute with Earl of Sussex

Sussex

His last years were overshadowed by his quarrel with the Lord Deputy, Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex. Initial relations between the two men seem to have been friendly enough : Parker entertained Sussex at Holmpatrick soon after the latter's arrival in Ireland, and they went together on an expedition against Shane O'Neill the next year.^[6] By 1562 however their quarrel was a major factor in Irish politics. Sussex's policies, particularly his levying of taxes, had aroused much opposition in the Pale; Parker emerged as one of the leaders of the gentlemen of the Pale and used his judicial authority to declare that Sussex had exceeded his legal powers. Sussex in turn accused Parker of disloyalty to the Queen and of being the author of a scurrilous book attacking him.^[7]

Another source of contention was religion: Sussex, who had originally been appointed by the devoutly Catholic Mary I was at best a very moderate Protestant : his first commission had included an injunction to suppress heretics and Lollards, and Parker, an extreme reformer, had been obliged to seek a royal pardon for recusancy.^[8] After the accession of Elizabeth I, with the reformers once more dominant, Parker in turn accused Sussex of a lack of religious zeal.

The complaints against Sussex eventually caused the Queen to set up a Commission of Inquiry; the Commissioners were Sir Thomas Wroth and Sir Nicholas Arnold. Both men like Parker were strong Protestants but do not seem to have been entirely unsympathetic to Sussex; the result of the inquiry was Sussex' recall to England, which he had been pressing for himself. The Commissioners praised Parker for his religious zeal : whether this might have led to further advancement is unknown, since he died the same year.^[9]

Family

Parker made an advantageous marriage to the twice widowed Marian St Lawrence, daughter of Nicholas St Lawrence, 4th Baron Howth and mother through her first husband of Richard Nugent, 5th Baron Delvin. He had a son and a daughter. The noted Jacobite conspirator Colonel John Parker was descended from him.^[10]

Character

Elrington Ball describes Parker as an extraordinary individual who from his modest beginning as a merchant in a small town, and with no apparent legal training, rose to become a senior statesman and judge,^[11] powerful enough to challenge the Earl of Sussex and able to win the respect of other leading figures such as Sussex's successor Nicholas Arnold.

References