Luke Netterville

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For the Anglo-Norman churchman in Ireland, see Luke Netterville (priest).

Luke Netterville (c. 1510–1560) was a sixteenth-century Irish judge. He was father of the statesman Richard Netterville and grandfather of the 1st Viscount Netterville.

He was born in County Meath, son of John Netterville of Dowth and Alison St Lawrence, daughter of Nicholas St Lawrence, 4th Baron Howth and his third wife Alison Fitzsimon.[1] His family had a long association with the law: the first recorded member of the family in Ireland was Nicholas de Netterville, who was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) in 1301. John's cousin and brother-in-law Thomas Netterville was a judge of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland), and after John's death his widow remarried yet another High Court judge, Sir Patrick White.[2]

In 1555 Netterville in his capacity as owner of Dowth was involved in litigation with another High Court judge, Walter Kerdiff. In 1558 he served on a commission to inquire into the lands held by Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare. The following year he was appointed second justice of the Court of King's Bench. In 1560 he sat on a commission to inquire into martial law in Meath, but died later the same year.[3]

Some years after his death the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Henry Sidney, described Luke in disparaging terms as a man who was "but second justice of one of the Benches...... of mean family.......born to nothing."[4] This attack was in the course of an attempt to damage the career of Luke's son Richard, who was one of Sidney's bitterest enemies, and there is no reason to think that his low opinion of Luke was widely shared. Nor would the grandson of Baron Howth be regarded by most people as being of "mean family": English families were happy to marry into the St. Lawrences.

Luke married Margaret Luttrell, daughter of Sir Thomas Luttrell, Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas and Elizabeth Bathe, and had two sons:

Ancestry[]

2. John Netterville
1. Luke Netterville
24. Christopher St Lawrence, 2nd Baron Howth
12. Robert St Lawrence, 3rd Baron Howth
6. Nicholas St Lawrence, 4th Baron Howth
26. Nicholas White
13. Alice White
3. Alison St Lawrence

References[]

  1. ^ Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921 John Murray London 1926 Vol.1 p.209
  2. ^ Ball p.209
  3. ^ Ball p.209
  4. ^ Nolan, Pierce Laurence "Richard Netterville " Dictionary of National Biography 1885–1900 Vol. 40 p.238
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