William Weston (c. 1546–1594)

Sir William Weston (c. 1546-1594) was an English-born politician and judge who ended his career as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas.

He was born in Gloucestershire, son of Hugh Weston of Weston. He is thought to have been a cousin of Robert Weston, Lord Chancellor of Ireland.[1]

He matriculated from Christ Church, Oxford in 1564 and took his degree as Bachelor of Arts in 1569. He entered Middle Temple and was elected Bencher and Reader in 1585.[2]

In the Parliament of 1593 he sat in the House of Commons of England as member for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.[3] A few months later he was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland), with a knighthood. This was part of a Crown policy of appointing English-born judges to the most senior positions on the Irish Bench.[4] The policy had only limited success: many English judges (though by no means not all) complained of the Irish climate,[5] and due to the bad roads and level of serious crime they often refused to go on assize.[6] Weston's own principle fault as a judge seem to have been inefficiency: he admitted that he could not keep order in his own court. He went on assize in Ulster in 1594 but fell ill and died, survived by his widow and at least one son.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926 Vol.1 p.224
  2. ↑ Ball p.224
  3. ↑ Ball p.224
  4. ↑ Crawford, Jon G. A Star Chamber Court in Ireland- the Court of Castle Chamber 1571-1641 Four Courts Press Dublin 2005 p.269
  5. ↑ His colleague Henry Gosnold, on the other hand, praised the Irish climate for its mildness.
  6. ↑ Ball p.225
  7. ↑ Ball p.225
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