John Barnewall, 3rd Baron Trimlestown facts for kids
John Barnewall, 3rd Baron Trimleston (1470-1538) was an important Irish nobleman, judge, and politician. He became the 3rd Baron Trimleston around 1513, taking over from his father, Christopher Barnewall. His father had supported a person named Lambert Simnel, who pretended to be the King of England in 1487. After this rebellion failed, John's father was forgiven by the King.
John's family first came to Ireland with King Henry II. They were given a lot of land in County Cork. However, the original owners of the land, the O'Sullivans, fought back. They attacked the Barnewall family, and only one young man survived because he was away studying law in England. He later returned to Ireland and settled near Dublin, in a place called Drimnagh.
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John Barnewall's Life and Career
John Barnewall became a very important person in Ireland during the time of Henry VIII. He was made a knight around 1513. He also received land near Dunleer and owned Roebuck Castle in south County Dublin. This castle is now part of University College Dublin. His grandfather had gained Roebuck Castle through marriage in 1466.
John Barnewall was special among the Irish nobles of his time. He was very good at law and was willing to work as a judge. He might have wanted to follow the example of his grandfather, Chief Justice Plunket, who was also a famous judge.
His Important Jobs
John Barnewall held many important jobs:
- In 1504, he became the Attorney General for Ireland. This job involves being the chief legal advisor to the government.
- Soon after, he became the Solicitor General for Ireland and the King's Sergeant. These are also high legal positions.
- In 1514, he became a judge in the Court of King's Bench.
- He then became the Deputy Treasurer and later the Lord Treasurer of Ireland in 1524. This role meant he was in charge of the country's money.
- Finally, in 1534, he was made the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. This was one of the highest legal and political jobs. King Henry VIII himself said he was happy for Lord Trimlestown to continue in this role.
In 1521, he joined the Privy Council of Ireland. This was a group of important advisors to the King in Ireland. He supported Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare, whose family was very powerful in Irish politics.
Dealing with Rebellions
John Barnewall was known for being good with money and law. He also managed to get a lot of land for himself from the English Crown. In 1536, he helped lead a military action into Offaly. They pushed back the O'Conor clan, who were attacking English settlements. The next year, he successfully talked with the O'Neills, another powerful Irish family.
During the rebellion of Silken Thomas, the 10th Earl of Kildare, some people wondered if John Barnewall would stay loyal to the King. This was because he had supported the Kildare family for a long time. However, these suspicions were not strong enough for him to be punished. After the rebellion failed, he received a royal pardon, just like many others who were suspected but not proven to have helped the rebellion.
John Barnewall died on July 25, 1538.
John Barnewall's Family
John Barnewall was married four times. We know the names of his first two wives: Janet Bellew and Margaret FitzLeones. Margaret's father, Patrick FitzLeones, was the Lord Mayor of Dublin three times.
John had seven children. With his first wife, Janet, he had his son and heir:
- Patrick Barnewall, who became the 4th Baron Trimlestown.
With his second wife, Margaret, he had six more children: four sons and two daughters:
- Sir Thomas Barnewall
- Peter Barnewall
- James Barnewall
- Andrew Barnewall
- Elizabeth Barnewall, who married three times.
- Catherine Barnewall, who married Patrick Hussey, the 11th Baron Galtrim. They had four children.
John's brother, Robert Barnewall, was also a lawyer. He was considered for important legal jobs but was not appointed.
