William Davys

Sir William Davys (before 1633 – 1687) was an Irish barrister and judge who held the offices of Recorder of Dublin, Prime Serjeant and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. He was suspected of Roman Catholic sympathies and was threatened with removal from the bench as a result, but he succeeded in retaining office until his death, due largely to his influential family connections. Background He was the eldest son of Sir Paul Davys (died 1672), Clerk to the Privy Council of Ireland and later Principal Secretary for Ireland, by his first wife Margaret Ussher (died 1633), daughter of Arthur Ussher and Judith Newcomen, and granddaughter of Sir William Ussher of Donnybrook. Sir John Davys was his half-brother and, like their father, John held office as Principal Secretary for Ireland. The father has been described as a remarkable man who during his long career was able to work amicably with Viceroys as different in character as Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, Henry Cromwell, and James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde. It was his father's long friendship with Ormonde which gave William his own start in life, since Ormonde prided himself on being loyal to his friends. William entered Lincoln's Inn in 1649, was called to the English bar in 1657, and entered King's Inn in 1661. Early career William obtained a reversion of his father's office as Clerk to the Privy Council in 1660. In 1661 he was made Recorder of Dublin; in the same year he was elected to the Irish House of Commons as member for Dublin City. On Ormonde's formal entry into Dublin as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1662, William organised the civic reception in his honour and was knighted. Ormonde always showed William great kindness, obtaining for him sinecures such as Clerk of the Tholsel and Chief Justice (or Seneschal) of the Duke's own private Court, the Palatine Court of Tipperary. His marriage to Martha Boyle, daughter of Michael Boyle, Archbishop of Armagh and his second wife Lady Mary O'Brien in 1664 also assisted his career, as his father-in-law became Lord Chancellor of Ireland the following year. His career suffered a check when Ormonde was replaced as Lord Lieutenant by Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex. Whether for supporting the wrong political faction, or because of his alleged Catholic leanings, he was suspended from office in 1672. However he was quickly restored to favour, and on his father-in-law's urging, he was made Prime Serjeant in 1675.