William Saxey facts for kids

William Saxey (born around 1550 – died 1612) was an English judge who worked in Ireland during the time of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. He was not very popular and often faced accusations of being unfair or taking bribes. People also said he didn't like others very much.

Early Life and Career

William Saxey was born in Bristol, England, around 1550. We don't know much about his family, but his father might have been Robert Saxey, a rich merchant who was once the Mayor of Bristol.

Saxey studied law in London. He became a lawyer and earned a lot of money, about £500 a year, which was a huge amount back then! However, some people later said he wasn't a very good lawyer and didn't know the law well.

Becoming a Judge in Ireland

In 1594, William Saxey was sent to Ireland to become the Chief Justice of Munster. This was a very important job. Queen Elizabeth I thought he was a good choice, calling him "a person well versed in the laws... and of good integrity."

But soon after he arrived, people started accusing him of being unfair and taking bribes. In 1596, a special court in Ireland, called the Court of Castle Chamber, strongly criticized him for his "corrupt, violent and intemperate proceedings." It seems he often gave land to the wrong people, possibly after taking money.

The Privy Council of Ireland, a group of important advisors, even wrote to the English government. They complained that Saxey had gone back to England without permission and that he didn't know enough about the law. They asked that he not be sent back to Ireland because he was so disliked. Saxey argued that he couldn't get a fair hearing in Ireland, but nothing more happened about the complaints.

Challenges and Later Years

Despite the complaints, Saxey did return to Ireland. In 1598, he quickly fled back to England during the Nine Years War, a big conflict happening in Ireland. He wrote detailed accounts of what he saw. His enemies claimed he knew about the troubles beforehand but kept it a secret, though there's no real proof of this. He complained to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, an important English official, that he had lost his jobs. He also strongly criticized how Ireland was being governed.

In 1599, Saxey returned to Ireland again with Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. He was then appointed a judge in the King's Bench in Dublin. Even though many people were upset, he refused to give up his old job as Chief Justice of Munster. He argued with most of his fellow judges and stopped attending important meetings, which made him not very useful.

In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I ordered that both judges of the Munster court, Saxey and James Gould, had to stay with the Lord President of Munster. This was probably an attempt to make Saxey choose between his two jobs. It was impossible for him to be in Dublin and Munster at the same time. However, he refused to let someone else do his King's Bench job and kept the pay for both positions. The new Lord President, Sir George Carew, complained about Saxey's absence from Munster and asked for him to be replaced.

In 1603, after Queen Elizabeth I died, some towns in Munster refused to announce James I as the new King. Saxey was given the job of stopping these uprisings. He threatened to arrest anyone who refused to proclaim the King, but it didn't work. The town officials said he didn't have the power to arrest them.

The Crown decided to make an example of some officials from Cork. William Meade, a legal official from Cork, was put on trial for treason (betraying the King). Saxey was one of the judges, along with other important officials. But even with such a powerful group of judges, the jury refused to find Meade guilty. This was a big embarrassment for the King.

Retirement and Final Days

Saxey continued to face accusations of corruption and argue with his colleagues. By 1602, he claimed he was too old for his jobs, but at the same time, he tried to get another important judge position. He retired from being a judge in Ireland before 1606, even though complaints about his behavior were still being looked into.

He went back to England and tried to get another job, but he only managed to become a justice of the peace in Hereford. This was a common role for landowners at the time.

Around 1609, he moved to Thinghill, near Withington in Herefordshire. He died there in 1612 and is buried in St. Peter's Church in Withington. He was married and had seven children, but it was said he didn't leave much money for his family.

Writings and Personality

During his time in Ireland, William Saxey often wrote to important English leaders like Sir Robert Cecil. He shared his opinions about Ireland, which were always very negative. In 1598, when Kilcolman Castle, the home of his friend, the poet Edmund Spenser, was burned, Saxey wrote very dramatic and probably exaggerated descriptions of a massacre of English settlers by the Irish.

In 1598, he also wrote a paper about how Ireland should be governed. He suggested that Irish-born men should not be allowed to be judges or hold other public jobs. He also wanted strict rules about religious practices to be enforced.

People described Saxey as a strong but "ethically challenged" person, meaning he wasn't always fair. He was seen as someone who just wanted to get ahead. He was known for being difficult and disliking people in general, much like a philosopher named Timon of Athens who was famous for hating everyone. While Saxey clearly disliked and feared the Irish people, which was common for English settlers then, the "Timon" comparison suggests he disliked most people he met. He was known to start arguments easily and get offended by small things.

Images for kids

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  St. Peter's Church, Withington, where Saxey is buried.