George Shurley

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Sir George Shurley (1569–1647) was an English-born judge who held the office of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Uniquely among the holders of that office, he ranked as junior to Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas in precedence.[1]

Ancestry and early life[]

He was born at Isfield, Sussex, the second son of Thomas Shurley and his first wife Anne Pelham of Laughton Place,[2] a daughter of Sir Nicholas Pelham and Anne Sackville (who was a first cousin of Anne Boleyn[3]). Sir John Shurley, the prominent politician and MP, was George's brother. Their great-grandfather, John Shurley, who held office as Cofferer to Henry VIII, had acquired Isfield in the 1520s. George's birth date is sometimes given as 1559, but was probably ten years later as John, who was the elder of the two brothers, was born in 1568.[4]

Isfield, his birthplace

He matriculated from Clare College, Cambridge in 1587, and was called to the Bar in 1597; he entered the Middle Temple and was made a Bencher of the Temple in 1607.[5]

Judge[]

He was sent to Ireland as Lord Chief Justice in 1620, with a knighthood. He entered the King's Inn, and was Treasurer in 1622-8.[6] his account books give some interesting details of the Inns' considerable expenditure in those years, including the building of a new parlour and cellar, and the fitting of new windows in the main hall.[7] He was appointed a member of the Privy Council of Ireland. He sat in the Court of Castle Chamber (the Irish equivalent to Star Chamber); but he had a reputation for being "aloof" and for refusing to meddle in politics, and he left little trace on the records of those bodies.[8]

He is known to have been outraged at being forced to yield precedence to Dominick Sarsfield, 1st Viscount Sarsfield, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, a step which he termed "a discourtesy never before offered to one in my position".[9] Apart from the issue of precedence, he could reasonably have complained at any honour being shown to Sarsfield, a judge who was already notorious for corruption, which led to his eventual removal from the Bench, and who died in disgrace.[10] Shurley is also said to have complained of being forced to go on assize in Ulster (possibly because of the appalling condition of the roads), although he was happy to take the Munster circuit, and appears to have been diligent enough in the exercise of his duties.

In the disturbed period following the Irish Rebellion of 1641, he returned to England for a time and lived in Chester;[11] but he owned a substantial mansion, Young's Castle in Dublin, (no trace of which remains now), together with lands in County Carlow, and wished to spend his last years in Ireland. He returned to Ireland, and made a speech denouncing Confederate Ireland in 1644.[12] Apparently despairing of enjoying a peaceful life in Ireland, in 1646 he retired to Brightling in Sussex, where he died the next year. He was buried at St Margaret's Church, Isfield, with an impressive memorial.

Family[]

Shurley married Mary, daughter and heiress of Edward Halfhide of Aspenden, Hertfordshire.[13] They had at least four sons and two daughters: two of their sons, Robert and Arthur, in turn inherited Isfield from their uncle Sir John Shurley. On Arthur's death the estates were divided between his daughters Penelope and Elizabeth.[14] One of George's daughters, Judith, married Sir Samuel Crooke, 2nd Baronet, son of Sir Thomas Crooke, 1st Baronet; Sir Thomas was the founder of Baltimore, County Cork. The Crooke estates later passed by inheritance to the Warren baronets. The other Shurley daughter Penelope married Francis Selwyn of Friston, Sussex and had issue.[15]

While In Ireland Sir George Shurley took an Irish wife named Anna. After his time as Chief Justice he went back to England without Anna, returning to Mary and their family in England. Angry with George, Anna raised her children as an Irish bloodline, even though Sir George insisted on their noble bloodline. This is how the Irish "Shurley" family came to be.

Lady Shurley made her last will in April 1654, and may have died later the same year, as she refers in her will to her "serious illness". She owned property in both Ireland and Chester, the bulk of which she left to her daughter Penelope Selwyn. From the will it seems that of her other children, Arthur, Judith, and another son, Thomas were still living in 1654.

Character[]

Elrington Ball states that Shurley was not a judge of outstanding ability, but that he was impartial and conscientious, and noted for his refusal to engage in political controversy.[16] He was also known to be a man of integrity, at a time when Irish judges were frequently accused of corruption.

References[]

  1. ^ Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926 Vol.1 p. 328
  2. ^ Ball p.328
  3. ^ Richardson 2011, pp. 385–386.
  4. ^ The inscription on George's memorial confirms the later date.
  5. ^ Ball p. 328
  6. ^ Kenny, Colum King's Inns and the Kingdom of Ireland Dublin Irish Academic Press 1992 p.84
  7. ^ Kenny p.95
  8. ^ Crawford, Jon G. A Star Chamber Court in Ireland- the Court of Castle Chamber 1571-1641 Four Courts Press Dublin 2005 p. 105
  9. ^ Crawford p.106
  10. ^ Crawford p.106
  11. ^ Ball p. 329
  12. ^ Ball p. 329
  13. ^ Ball p. 329
  14. ^ Berry William "County Genealogies: Pedigrees of the Families of the County of Sussex" London 1830 p.204
  15. ^ Berry p.204
  16. ^ Ball p. 251
Legal offices
Preceded by
William Jones 		Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
1620–1647 		Succeeded by
Vacant - next held by Richard Pepys
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