Richard Sydgrave

Richard Sydgrave or Segrave[1] ( died 1425) was an Irish judge who held office as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer and served as deputy to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland; his family became among the foremost landowners in County Meath.[2]

An earlier Seagrave, Stephen, had been Archbishop of Armagh 1323-1333;[3] it is unclear if there was a family connection although Richard was custodian of the See of Armagh in 1404.[4]

His first recorded office was Clerk of the Hanaper in the late 1390s. He became a Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) in 1402 and Chief Baron in 1423;[5] he also acted as Deputy Lord Chancellor. He appears to have died in 1425.[6] In his last years the family acquired the lands of Killeglan, now Ashbourne, County Meath, where they remained until the 1640s; he also held lands at Newry and in County Galway, [7] although it seems that he was never able to gain control effective of the Newry lands.[8]

The connection with the Court of Exchequer continued, with two subsequent members of the Segrave family serving among its members.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Sydegrove is yet another spelling of the family name.
  2. ↑ Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926 Vol.1 p.172
  3. ↑ D'Alton, John King James' Irish Army List Dublin 1855 p.729
  4. ↑ Ball p.172
  5. ↑ D'Alton p.730
  6. ↑ Ball p.172
  7. ↑ Patent Roll 6 Henry IV
  8. ↑ Patent Roll 6 Henry IV
  9. ↑ Ball pp.219,226