William Davys facts for kids

Sir William Davys (born before 1633 – died 1687) was an important Irish lawyer and judge. He held several big jobs, like the Recorder of Dublin (a chief legal officer for Dublin City), Prime Serjeant (a top government lawyer), and later the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (the highest judge in the country). People thought he might secretly be a Roman Catholic, which was a problem back then, and he was almost removed from his job. But thanks to his powerful family and friends, he managed to keep his position until he passed away.

Early Life and Family Connections

William Davys was the oldest son of Sir Paul Davys, who was a very important government official. His father worked for the Irish government as the Clerk to the Privy Council of Ireland and later as the Principal Secretary for Ireland. William's mother was Margaret Ussher. His half-brother, John Davys, also became Principal Secretary, just like their father.

Sir Paul Davys was known for being able to work well with different leaders, like James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde. This friendship with Ormonde was very helpful for William's own career. Ormonde was loyal to his friends and helped William get started. William studied law in England at Lincoln's Inn in 1649 and became a lawyer in 1657. He then joined King's Inn in Ireland in 1661.

Starting His Career

In 1660, William was given the right to take over his father's job as Clerk to the Privy Council. A year later, in 1661, he became the Recorder of Dublin. In the same year, he was chosen to be a member of the Irish House of Commons for Dublin City.

When the Duke of Ormonde officially arrived in Dublin as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (the King's representative) in 1662, William helped organize a big welcome party for him and was made a knight. Ormonde continued to be very kind to William, helping him get other jobs that paid well but didn't require much work. These included being the Clerk of the Tholsel (a city court) and the Chief Justice of Ormonde's own special court in Tipperary.

William's career also got a boost when he married Martha Boyle in 1664. Her father was Michael Boyle, who was the Archbishop of Armagh and later became the Lord Chancellor of Ireland (the highest legal officer).

However, William's career faced a challenge when Ormonde was replaced as Lord Lieutenant. William was suspended from his job in 1672, possibly because he supported the wrong political group or because of rumors that he was secretly Catholic. But he quickly got back into favor. With his father-in-law's help, he became Prime Serjeant in 1675. He was considered for a judge's position in 1673 and again in 1679, but by then, his career was affected by a big event called the Popish Plot.

The Popish Plot and Accusations

In 1678, a time of great fear and suspicion known as the Popish Plot began. People were very worried about Roman Catholics, believing they were plotting against the King. During this time, William and his brother John were both accused of having Catholic sympathies. They were called to London to explain themselves.

It's hard to know if these accusations were true. It was very unlikely for someone married to the daughter of a Protestant Archbishop to be Catholic in the 1670s. Also, no Irish Catholic could have kept a government job during such a strong anti-Catholic period. William later married the widow of a Catholic nobleman, but she was known to be a strong Protestant herself. In the end, with his father-in-law and Ormonde speaking up for him and confirming he was Protestant, William was cleared of any suspicion and allowed to return to Ireland.

Becoming Lord Chief Justice

When the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Sir John Povey, died in 1679, and his replacement, Sir Robert Booth, died a year later, William Davys was considered for the job. Even with Ormonde's support, he didn't get the position the first time, probably because of ongoing doubts about his religious beliefs. But he was able to get the job the second time.

Now at the peak of his career, Davys made a decision that caused him problems: he married Lady Elizabeth FitzGerald. This marriage upset both his father-in-law, Archbishop Boyle, and the FitzGerald family. The FitzGeralds were involved in a legal case against the Ormonde family, which came before Davys as Chief Justice. The FitzGeralds accused Davys of being unfair because of his close friendship with the Duke of Ormonde. They even threatened to have him removed from his judge's position. Davys bravely replied that he was afraid to do wrong, but not afraid of the results of doing what was right.

William Davys might have been interested in the wealth of his young stepson, Donough MacCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarty. Donough's uncle, Justin McCarthy, Viscount Mountcashel, was also close to the future King James II. However, Justin had a big disagreement with Lady Davys. In a famous scandal, he almost kidnapped the young Earl and forced him to marry Elizabeth Spencer when they were both very young. This marriage turned out badly and caused Lady Davys a lot of sadness in her later years. This suggests that William and his wife didn't have much influence at the King's court.

When James II became King, many people thought Davys would lose his job. He was getting older and had health issues, and he had argued with many of his powerful friends and relatives. However, King James seemed to approve of Davys, perhaps because of the old rumors about his Catholic sympathies. Davys met the King and remained in his job until he died in 1687. He was buried at St. Audoen's Church, Dublin.

His wife, Elizabeth, lived until 1698. Her last years were difficult because of her son's troubled life. He was put in the Tower of London but escaped to find his wife, whom he had been separated from for a long time. After they finally got together, he was arrested by her angry family. This caused a big stir, but luckily, King William III didn't take it too seriously. He allowed Lady Davys's request for her son and daughter-in-law to go live in Germany.

His Will and Legacy

William Davys had only one child, a daughter with his first wife Martha Boyle, but she died young. Since he had no children who lived, he wanted to provide for his step-daughter, Lady Catherine MacCarthy. At the same time, he wanted his house, St. Catherine's Park in Leixlip, which he had bought and improved, to stay in the Davys family.

His will had an interesting condition: whichever son of his brother John married Catherine would inherit the house. His nephew Paul married Catherine and inherited St. Catherine's. After Justin MacCarthy died, Paul was given the title Viscount Mount Cashell.

His Reputation

Historians believe that William Davys owed his success mostly to his father's good reputation and his friendship with the Duke of Ormonde. However, his refusal to give in to threats from the FitzGerald family during their lawsuit against Ormonde shows that he was a man of honesty. No matter his personal beliefs, he seemed to genuinely support people being able to practice their own religion freely.