William Neave

Last updated

William Neave (c.1662-1713) was an Irish barrister, politician and law officer. He held the office of Serjeant-at-law (Ireland) and in that capacity played a crucial role in the Dublin Castle administration from 1696 to 1711. He sat in the Irish House of Commons in four successive Parliaments as MP for Tulsk.

He was a native of County Longford. He was a highly successful barrister by his early 30s, and quickly took silk. He was first elected to the House of Commons for the 1692-3 session, and again in 1695–99. During the latter session, he played a leading part in the impeachment of Sir Charles Porter, the flamboyant and controversial Lord Chancellor of Ireland, for what were vaguely described as "high crimes and misdemeanours". The impeachment (which was a purely political attack by his enemies) failed, largely due to Porter's eloquent speech in his own defence, and the high regard felt by King William III for Porter, one of the few of his Ministers for whom he had any personal liking.

Porter, during his speech in his own defence at his impeachment, said that he would forgive his enemies, but he did not forgive Neave. When Lord Capell, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, told Porter in late 1695 that he intended to appoint Neave as Second Serjeant, Porter reacted with fury, saying he would not endure it. Capell, whose relations with Porter were never good, replied that the matter was already decided. He argued that Neave was highly regarded by the Law Officers and had been recommended by several influential peers, and that it was vital for the Government to have gifted lawyers to manage its legal business in the Commons. He pointed out sharply that he had allowed Porter to have his own way on several other appointments, including the Prime Serjeant, Sir Thomas Pakenham, and he had made no objection to Porter's own brother William taking silk. As for Porter's personal grievance against Neave, he reminded Porter of his promise to forgive his accusers.

Neave was duly appointed Second Serjeant and became Prime Serjeant in 1708. He was also Counsel for the Barracks, an office frequently given to the Serjeant. A petition to the Commons after his death suggests that he was forced to pay all the expenses of the latter office himself. He played a leading role in the Irish Government until 1711, when the new Tory administration dismissed him on strictly political grounds. By Act of Parliament of 1706 he was constituted one of the trustees for dealing with forfeited rebels' estates, to be used for the purposes of building churches and augmenting the livings of poor vicars. He was re-elected to Parliament in 1703 and served as an MP for the remainder of his life.

He died in early December 1713. He was heavily in debt at the time of his death, largely because of the expenses incurred in his professional capacity. In 1717 his executors presented a petition to the Commons praying for his expenses to be reimbursed to the estate.

Sources

Related Research Articles

Henry Hyde, 4th Earl of Clarendon and 2nd Earl of Rochester, PC, styled Lord Hyde from 1682 to 1711, was an English Army officer and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1692 until 1711 when he succeeded to the peerage as Earl of Rochester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rochfort</span> Irish politician (1652–1727)

Robert Rochfort was a leading Irish lawyer, politician and judge of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. He held office as Attorney General for Ireland, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, and Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. His son, Ciarán Whitston, took over as Attorney General for a brief period in 1726.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton</span> Irish lawyer and Whig politician

Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton, PC (Ire) was a leading Irish lawyer and Whig politician who sat in the Parliament of Ireland between 1692 and 1715 and in the British House of Commons from 1717 to 1728. He was Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Although he was a man of great gifts, he was so hot-tempered that even Jonathan Swift is said to have been afraid of him.

Sir William Thompson of Middle Temple, was an English judge and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1709 and 1729.

Events from the year 1695 in Ireland.

Thomas Snagge (1536–1593) was a Member of Parliament, barrister and landowner who served as Speaker of the English House of Commons, Attorney General for Ireland and as Queen's Sergeant.

Sir James Montagu, of the Middle Temple, London, was an English lawyer and Whig politician, who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1695 and 1713. He became a judge and also served as Solicitor General and Attorney General.

Henry Holmes of Thorley, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, was an Anglo-Irish Army officer, landowner and Tory politician who was Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Wight (1710–14) and sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1695 to 1717.

Sir Richard Levinge, 1st Baronet was an Irish politician and judge, who played a leading part in Irish public life for more than 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Richard Reynell, 1st Baronet</span> English-born judge

Sir Richard Reynell, 1st Baronet, was an English-born judge who had a distinguished career in Ireland and held office as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland. He was the first of the Reynell baronets of Laleham.

Sir Charles Porter, was a flamboyant and somewhat controversial English-born politician and judge, who nonetheless enjoyed a highly successful career in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Powys (judge)</span>

Sir Thomas Powys, of Henley, near Ludlow, Shropshire and Lilford cum Wigsthorpe, Northamptonshire, was an English lawyer, judge and Tory politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1701 and 1713. He was Attorney General to King James II and was chief prosecutor at the trial of the Seven Bishops in June 1688. He served as Justice of the King's Bench from 1713 to 1714, but was dismissed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Pakenham (Augher MP)</span>

Sir Thomas Pakenham (1649-1703) was an Irish barrister and politician: he sat in the Irish House of Commons as MP for Augher and held the office of Serjeant-at-law (Ireland). He was the grandfather of the first Baron Longford.

Morley Saunders (1671-1737) was an Irish politician, barrister and landowner. He followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a member of the Irish House of Commons and Prime Serjeant-at-law. He is mainly remembered today as the builder of Saunders' Grove, the family home in Wicklow. The town of Swanlinbar, County Cavan, where he was a leading landowner, is partially named after his father.

Richard Nutley (1670–1729) was an English-born barrister, politician and judge assigned to official duty in early eighteenth-century Ireland. Whilst having a fascinating legal and political career, he also enjoyed the friendship of Jonathan Swift.

Sir John Lyndon was an Irish judge and politician of the seventeenth century. He was the first holder of the office of Third Serjeant-at-law, which was created especially for him, apparently as a "consolation prize" for not being made a High Court judge the first time he sought that office. He was also Recorder of Carrickfergus for many years, a position held by several members of the Lyndon family over the best part of a century.

Waller Bacon, of Earlham Hall, near Norwich, was a British lawyer and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons for 24 years between 1705 and 1734. He was active in drafting bills in Parliament, possibly on the strength of his legal background.

Thomas Medlycott (1662–1738), of Binfield, Berkshire, and Dublin, Ireland, was a British lawyer who was an Irish attorney general and later Commissioner of Revenue and Excise for Ireland. He was first a Tory and later a Whig politician who sat in the Parliament of Ireland from 1692 to 1738, and in the English House of Commons and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1734.

Richard Lloyd was an Anglo-Irish plantation owner and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1708 to 1711.

John Cliffe (1661–1728) was an Irish barrister, landowner and politician. He sat in the Irish House of Commons for many years, where he was often called on to speak for the Government, and held the office of Serjeant-at-law (Ireland).

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.