John Bathe (died 1586)

John Bathe (1536-1586) was an Irish lawyer and statesman of the sixteenth century. He held several important offices, including that of Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland. He came from a prominent landowning family in County Dublin, and himself added to the family estates. His children included the Jesuit William Bathe, a noted musicologist.

Biography

He was the only son of James Bathe, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer (died 1570) and his second wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Burnell of Balgriffin, and widow of Robert Barnewall of Drimnagh. Despite some suspicions about his loyalty during the Rebellion of Silken Thomas, the elder Bathe became a much-trusted servant of the English Crown who held high office for 30 years: like his son he adhered publicly to the Church of Ireland but was generally believed to be a Roman Catholic at heart.

Born to a junior branch of a long-established County Meath family, (others branches were settled at Kingstown and Athcarne), James became a major landowner in Dublin; he held Drimnagh Castle by right of his father's marriage to the previous owner's widow, and began the building of Drumcondra Castle, which his son completed. Drumcondra House, now part of All Hallows College, is located on the site of the old Castle, and a tablet survives referring to John Bathe and his first wife Eleanor Preston as the builders of it.

Career

John was at Lincoln's Inn in 1560 and was called to the Bar there. He had some difficulty at first in building up a good legal practice, but from the late 1560s onward his career advanced rapidly: he became Principal Solicitor for Ireland in 1570 and Attorney-General for Ireland in 1574. His career suffered a check when the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Henry Sidney, asked for the appointment of Protestant judges and law officers only: Bathe, who inclined privately to Catholicism, was removed from office. This was only a temporary setback and the following year he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, an office which he held until his death.

Apart perhaps from Sir Henry Sidney, all the English-born officials in Ireland who worked with him seem to have admired and respected Bathe, particularly Sir John Perrot, with whom he enjoyed a close friendship, and whose sternness towards the Old Irish he is said to have alleviated. His personal kindness is shown by his will, in particular by a bequest to build a hospital for poor men at Balgriffin.

In contrast to his father he was never suspected of any inclination to rebellion: although the rebel William Nugent was a close relative by marriage, Bathe, unlike some of his cousins, steered clear of taking any part in his uprising. He adhered publicly to the Church of Ireland, but his private loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith was no secret: his second wife Jenet was an open Catholic, and his children, two of whom became Catholic priests, were clearly raised in that faith.

Property

He was renowned for his remarkable skill in adding to the family estates: he successfully claimed in right of his mother, Elizabeth Burnell, the former lands of the Burnell family at Balgriffin and Chapelizod. He also acquired land at Clonturk, Ballybough and Glasnevin, and further afield in Meath and Kildare. It has been argued that Bathe was not motivated by greed, but by the wish to provide generously for his large family.

Family

He married firstly Eleanor Preston, daughter of Jenico Preston, 3rd Viscount Gormanston, and had, as well as a daughter, two sons:

• William (1564-1614), who inherited his father's large estates, and later became a Jesuit and later a noted linguist and writer on music;
• Sir John Bathe (1565-1634), to whom William transferred the family estates; he was for many years the effective spokesman for the Irish Catholic landowning class.

Their father married secondly Jenet Finglas, daughter of Patrick Finglas of Westpalstown, County Dublin. They had five children, of whom the most notable was :

• Luke, who like William entered the priesthood, took the name in religion Father Edward, and was for many years head of the Capuchin mission to Ireland.

Bathe's widow remarried Sir William Warren, a noted soldier and close ally of Hugh O'Neill, and after his death married thirdly Terence O'Dempsey, 1st Viscount Clanmalier. Jenet and Warren were believed to have arranged Hugh O'Neill's much-discussed third marriage to Mabel Bagenal, which took place at Drumcondra Castle in 1591. Jenet died in 1627; her third husband outlived her by some years.

References

• Ball, F. Elrington History of Dublin Vol. 6 Alexander Thom and Co. Dublin 1920
• Ó Mathúna, Sean P. William Bathe, S.J. 1564-1614- A Pioneer in Linguistics John Benjamins 1986