Luke Netterville facts for kids

Luke (Lucas) Netterville (around 1510–1560) was an Irish judge who lived in the 1500s. He was the father of Richard Netterville, a well-known politician. He was also the grandfather of the first Viscount Netterville.

Early Life and Family

Luke Netterville was born in County Meath, Ireland. His father was John Netterville of Dowth, and his mother was Alison St Lawrence. Alison's father was Nicholas St Lawrence, 4th Baron Howth. This means Luke came from an important and well-connected family.

A Family of Judges

The Netterville family had a long history of working in law.

• One of the first famous family members in Ireland was Sir Nicholas de Netterville. He was a judge in the early 1300s.
• Luke's cousin, Thomas Netterville, was also a judge.
• After Luke's father died, his mother Alison married another important judge, Sir Patrick White. They had more children, including Rowland White, who became a famous writer and reformer.

Career as a Judge

Luke Netterville followed in his family's footsteps and became a judge.

Important Cases and Roles

• In 1555, Luke was involved in a legal case about his family's property in Dowth. This case was against another judge, Walter Kerdiff.
• In 1558, he helped investigate the lands owned by Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare.
• The next year, in 1559, Luke was made the second justice of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland). This was a very important court in Ireland.
• In 1560, he was part of a group looking into martial law in Meath. Martial law means when the military takes control of an area.

Luke Netterville died later in 1560.

His Reputation

Some years after Luke's death, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Henry Sidney, spoke badly about him. Sidney said Luke was "but second justice of one of the Benches...... of mean family.......born to nothing."

Why Sidney Said That

Sir Henry Sidney said these things to try and harm the career of Luke's son, Richard. Richard Netterville was one of Sidney's biggest political rivals. Most people did not agree with Sidney's low opinion of Luke. Luke's family was actually quite important and wealthy. His grandfather was a Baron, and his family had even married into the family of the Earl of Kildare.

Family Life

Luke Netterville married Margaret Luttrell. Her father, Sir Thomas Luttrell, was also a very important judge. He was the Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas.

Luke and Margaret had two sons:

• John (died 1601): He was the father of Nicholas Netterville, 1st Viscount Netterville.
• Richard (died 1607): He became a leading politician and lawyer.