Richard Netterville facts for kids

Richard Netterville (c. 1540–1607) was an Irish barrister and politician of the Elizabethan era. He was noted for his willingness to oppose the Crown, especially on its taxation policies, and as a result, he was imprisoned several times.

Background

He was born in Dowth in County Meath, second son of Luke Netterville, judge of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland) and Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Luttrell, Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. The Netterville family were long-established landowners in County Meath, and are recorded in Ireland from before 1280. His father died in 1560. As he was the son and grandson of judges, and a younger son with his livelihood to earn, it was an obvious career choice for Richard to practice at the Irish Bar. He was at the Inns of Court in London in 1561–62, where he was one of a group of Irish law students who compiled a book on the misgovernment of the Pale. He had returned to Ireland by 1564 to practice law.

Parliament of 1585

Nettterville's imprisonment and apology did not lessen his willingness to oppose the authority of the Lord Deputy, and he proceeded to clash with Sidney's successor Sir John Perrot. Perrot had drawn up an ambitious programme of law reform for the 1585 Irish Parliament; Netterville, who was elected to the Irish House of Commons as member for County Dublin, was one of the leaders of the opposition and thwarted the Deputy at every opportunity. To Perrot's fury, they even demanded to see his accounts; he complained-

It angers me to make this bibble-babble account, fitter to be told to boys than any that have wit or judgment, and I think foul scorn they should put me to it.

He retaliated by imprisoning Nettterville and some of his colleagues, but failed to get his reforms through Parliament.

Family

He had married Alison (or Alice) Plunket, daughter of the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Sir John Plunket and his second wife Catherine Luttrell, but had no children. His estate passed to his nephew Nicholas Netterville, 1st Viscount Netterville