Stephen Rice (judge) facts for kids

Sir Stephen Rice (1637–1715) was an important judge in Ireland. He held the position of Chief Baron of the Exchequer, which was a very high legal role. He was also a strong supporter of King James II.

Stephen Rice's Early Life

Stephen Rice was born in County Kerry, Ireland. His family, the Rices, were Old English and Roman Catholic. They owned a lot of land in the area called Munster. Stephen was a younger son of James Rice from Dingle, County Kerry. His mother was Phillis Fanning from Limerick.

Before King Charles II died, Stephen Rice became a very successful lawyer. He was known as the best lawyer for cases about taxes and government money.

Serving as a Judge for King James II

In April 1686, King James II chose Stephen Rice to be a Baron of the Exchequer. This happened after the previous judge, Sir Standish Hartstonge, 1st Baronet, was suddenly removed. In May, Rice also became a privy councillor. This meant he was a trusted advisor to the King. Other important people like Richard Talbot and Thomas Nugent were also made privy councillors at the same time.

Rice started his work as a judge in early June. He was allowed to skip taking the Oath of Supremacy, which was an oath that many Protestants took. After that, he traveled to different parts of Ireland to hear cases.

Changes in the Court System

The Court of Exchequer (Ireland) was a busy court in Ireland. Unlike other Irish courts, its decisions could not be easily challenged in England. Stephen Rice supported the plans of Tyrconnell and his friends to change how land was owned in Ireland. He disagreed with an idea to raise money and protect landowners at the same time. In August 1686, Rice said that such a plan would only help people who should not have their land confirmed. He believed that nothing could be done without a parliament.

In November, Rice worked to stop another court, the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland), from getting involved in arguments between tax officers and merchants. In April 1687, he became the Chief Baron, replacing Henry Hene, and was made a knight.

Impact on Protestants in Ireland

After Tyrconnell took over the government in February 1687, many Protestants were removed from their jobs in the government and army. The official documents, called charters, for almost all the towns and cities (about 100 of them) were brought to the Exchequer court. The court then declared them invalid. This meant that any leases made by these towns could also be taken away.

Rice stated that Protestants should be treated strictly according to the law in these matters. However, he was also one of the privy councillors who signed a statement promising that all of the King's subjects, no matter their religion, would be protected by law.

The city of Dublin was told to prove its charter was valid very quickly. A small mistake was made in their legal papers. Chief Baron Rice refused to let them fix the mistake and declared their charter invalid. This led to many Protestant mayors and sheriffs being removed. In Limerick, Rice even refused to hold court until Tyrconnell's chosen people were allowed to take their places. Rice himself became one of the new leaders of Limerick under King James's new rules.

In August 1687, Rice traveled with Tyrconnell and Nagle to Chester, where they met with the King. In early 1688, Rice and Chief Justice Nugent were sent to London. They wanted to get King James's approval for new laws in Ireland. However, the King did not agree with their ideas for calling a parliament.

After the Glorious Revolution

After King James II left England in what is known as the Glorious Revolution, Tyrconnell sent Rice to France. Rice went with William Stewart, whom Tyrconnell wanted to get rid of. They left Dublin on January 10, 1689. Mountjoy was supposed to tell the French that attacking Ireland would be pointless, but he was sent to prison in Paris as soon as he arrived. Rice, however, pushed for an immediate invasion of Ireland. He returned to Ireland with King James in March of that year.

Rice became a commissioner for the Jacobite treasury, which managed money for King James's supporters. He was in Limerick during the first siege of the town in 1690. After King William III was pushed back from Limerick in August 1690, Rice went to France again. He returned with Tyrconnell, bringing some money, and landed in Galway in January 1691.

However, after the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690, it became clear that King James's cause was failing. A document was found in Dublin that would have made Rice a baron, giving him the title Lord Monteagle. But King James II was no longer in power, so the document was never signed.

The government decided that Rice was covered by the Articles of Limerick, which were an agreement that allowed some of King James's supporters to keep their land. So, Rice stayed in Ireland and kept his property. He did not seem to go back to being a lawyer. However, in 1703, he spoke in front of the Irish House of Commons and the Irish House of Lords. He argued against a law called the "Act to prevent the further growth of popery" (also known as the Popery Act). This law was very strict against Catholics. He argued that the law went against the Articles of Limerick. He was joined by Sir Toby Butler, who gave a famous speech saying the Popery Act was "against the laws of God and man."

Stephen Rice passed away on February 16, 1715, at the age of 78.

Stephen Rice's Family

Stephen Rice married Mary, the daughter of Thomas Fitzgerald from County Limerick. They had several children. His oldest son, Edward, changed his religion from Catholicism to the Anglican Church of Ireland. He did this to prevent his family's land from being divided up under a law called gavelkind, which would have happened if he remained Catholic.

Edward's nephew, also named Stephen, married a daughter from the Spring family. Their oldest son, Thomas Spring Rice, later became the Baron Monteagle of Brandon. This was the same title that King James II had planned to give to Sir Stephen Rice before he lost his throne.