Nicholas Kerdiffe facts for kids
Nicholas Kerdiffe was an important lawyer and legal official in Ireland around 400 years ago. He was known as a "Serjeant-at-law," which was a very senior legal job at the time. He helped make sure justice was fair across Ireland.
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Nicholas Kerdiffe's Family
Nicholas Kerdiffe was born in County Dublin, Ireland. His family owned land in places like Dunsink and Castleknock. The name "Kerdiffe" sounds a lot like "Cardiff," which makes people think his family might have originally come from Wales.
A man named James Kerdiffe of Dunsink was likely a close relative of Nicholas. James's daughter, Eleanor, married James Barry, who later became Nicholas's father-in-law. This shows how families were connected back then.
Becoming a Lawyer
Nicholas Kerdiffe started studying law in 1594 at a famous place called Middle Temple in London, England. He became a qualified lawyer in 1600. Just one year later, in 1601, he was given the important job of Serjeant-at-law in Ireland.
This was a big deal because the Serjeant-at-law was the most senior legal officer in Ireland at that time. They even ranked higher than the Attorney General. It was surprising that Nicholas got such a high position because he was still quite young and didn't have a lot of experience.
Important Work as a Serjeant
Even though he was young, the Serjeant-at-law had a very important role in the legal system. One of his main jobs was to act as a judge in special courts called assizes. These courts traveled around Ireland to hear cases.
Because there were so many cases, the regular judges couldn't handle all the work. So, the Serjeant-at-law, like Nicholas, often stepped in to help. Nicholas did this job very well. He traveled to assize courts seven times in eight years. This work was tough and took a lot of time, but he also received extra pay for it.
In 1603, King James I renewed Nicholas's appointment, showing that the King trusted him. Nicholas also helped look into land ownership after some rebellions. He was also a "Seneschal" for the Archdiocese of Dublin, which meant he managed certain legal matters for the church's lands.
Nicholas's Family Life
Nicholas Kerdiffe married Margaret Barry. Her father, James Barry, was an important merchant in Dublin. Margaret's family, the Barrys, were one of Dublin's leading merchant families.
Margaret's nephew, James Barry, later became a very important person and was given the title of "Baron Barry of Santry" in 1661. This was because of his great service to the English Crown.
Nicholas Kerdiffe passed away in May 1609.
After Nicholas's Death
After Nicholas died, his wife Margaret remarried. Her second husband was Robert Ball, another leading merchant in Dublin. Robert Ball even became the Mayor of Dublin from 1609 to 1610.
Robert Ball's mother was Margaret Ball, who was a famous Catholic martyr. Margaret Kerdiffe (Nicholas's wife) lived until 1650. She passed away at her second husband's home in Ballygall, near Glasnevin.
