John Challoner facts for kids

John Challoner was an important person in the 1500s. He was the very first Secretary of State for Ireland. Queen Elizabeth I of England chose him for this job in 1560. He also served as a MP in both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Ireland. It's easy to mix him up with another person named Alderman John Challoner, who was the Mayor of Dublin a few years earlier. That John Challoner died in 1565.

Early Life and Work

John Challoner was born around 1525. His parents were Margaret Myddleton and Roger Challoner. Roger Challoner was a silk merchant in London. He also worked for King Henry VIII and handled money for the government.

John Challoner started studying law in 1541. By 1547, he was working as an auditor in Calais, a French town that England controlled. He became a Member of Parliament in England in 1555. It's thought he represented Calais. England lost Calais to France in 1558. This might have been why Challoner moved to Ireland.

Working in Ireland

John Challoner first appears in Irish records in 1551. He was given Lambay Island, which is off the coast of Dublin. He had to agree to build a fishing town and a fort on the island. This fort was meant to protect against pirates. The old fort was taken down in 1837. Challoner spent the 1550s traveling between London, Calais, and Dublin. He then settled in Dublin.

Secretary of State

In 1560, John Challoner became a Member of Parliament in Ireland for Dungarvan. Later that year, Queen Elizabeth made him the Secretary of State for Ireland. This was a new and very important job. He was also in charge of the Queen's official seal and was part of the Privy Council of Ireland.

In 1563, Challoner asked to leave his job. He wanted to focus on finding silver and gold on Lambay Island. But he stayed on as Secretary until he died in 1581. Sir Geoffrey Fenton took over his role. Challoner also tried to become the Irish Master of the Rolls in 1564 but did not get the position.

Mining Ventures

John Challoner spent a lot of time trying to find minerals. Besides Lambay Island, he also tried to mine in other places like Castleknock and Clonmines. It's not clear how successful he was. On Lambay, he had trouble because there wasn't enough wood for smelting (melting metal).

In 1563, French pirates attacked Lambay Island. They stole about £300 worth of Challoner's belongings. Even though he earned £50 a year as Secretary of State, he left behind debts of over £1000 when he died.

Challenges as Secretary

Some people say that John Challoner didn't become a very powerful Secretary of State. This was unlike Lord Burghley in England. The Lord Deputy Sussex might have chosen Challoner because he was good with numbers. Challoner was often busy collecting taxes, which limited his influence in the Irish government. Later, during Sir Henry Sidney's time as Lord Deputy, Sidney's own assistants handled many state matters. These should have been Challoner's responsibility.

Challoner's Family

John Challoner's brother Francis had a son named Dr. Luke Challoner. Luke was very important in starting Trinity College, Dublin in 1592. He was one of the first three founding members of the college. He also served as Pro-Chancellor of the college. Luke Challoner's daughter married Archbishop James Ussher, a very important religious leader in Ireland.

Trinity College, Dublin

King Henry VIII closed many monasteries in 1538. The land where an old monastery called All Hallows stood was chosen for a new college. John's nephew, Luke Challoner, was deeply involved in creating this university in Dublin.

Luke Challoner had studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. He named the new Dublin college "Trinity College, Dublin." He helped get the land and money for the college. When the first students started in 1594, he was the Vice Chancellor. He later became Vice Provost. When he died in 1613, he was buried on the college campus. This started a tradition for future Provosts.

The original grave of Luke Challoner was inside the College Chapel. But the chapel was rebuilt in 1798. Now, the graves of the college Provosts are outside the chapel's north-eastern wall. This small cemetery is known as Challoner's Corner. It's the smallest cemetery in Ireland. Besides Luke Challoner, eight other people are buried there, including William Temple and FSL Lyons.

Alderman John Challoner, Mayor of Dublin

John Challoner, the Secretary of State, is often confused with another important person named John Challoner. This other John Challoner was also active in Dublin politics. He died sixteen years before the Secretary of State.

This other John Challoner was the Sheriff of Dublin City in 1545. He became a member of the Dublin Corporation in 1547. He was chosen as Mayor of Dublin in September 1556 and died in 1565.

Defending Dublin

There's a famous story about Mayor John Challoner defending Dublin. This event happened a few months before he became Mayor. It might have even helped him get elected. In May 1556, the native Gaelic Kavanagh clan from Carlow attacked Dublin. Dublin was the center of English rule in Ireland.

Challoner quickly gathered a group of armed citizens. He had brought "several pieces of ordnance and a hundred and fifty fire arms" from Spain at his own cost. The Lord Deputy, the Earl of Sussex, reportedly offered him a knighthood for his bravery. But Challoner turned it down. He said it would be more honorable to be remembered as "John Challoner" who served the Queen, rather than "Sir John Challoner." The Kavanaghs were driven out of Dublin. They were captured at Powerscourt Castle. Then, 74 of them were brought back to Dublin and executed.