Patrick Segrave

Patrick Segrave (died c.1610) was an Irish judge of the early seventeenth century, who was removed from office for numerous incidents of corruption.[1]

He was born at Killegland, now Ashbourne, County Meath, son of Richard Segrave, Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) who was head of a prominent landowning family.[2] Little is known of his mother. He married before 1589 Mary Dillon, daughter of Chief Justice Robert Dillon and his second wife Catherine Sarsfield. In 1589 his father-in-law sent him to London with gifts of hawks and horses for the Privy Council.[3] On his father's death in 1598 Patrick was appointed to his place as a Baron of the Exchequer.[1]

He was charged in 1602 with "diverse causes (cases)" of bribery and corruption, and stood trial before the Court of Castle Chamber, the Irish equivalent of Star Chamber.[4] The Delahide family's lands at Dunshaughlin, County Meath had been forfeited to the Crown for treason. Segrave was accused of conspiring with Richard Read and David Russell to procure a jury to find the title to the land (i.e. award the title) in favour of Read, and of receiving a large bribe in return; he was also charged with attempting to bribe Sir Richard Cooke, the Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland.[4] Segrave was found guilty, removed from office by the Lord Deputy of Ireland, fined £1000 and imprisoned at the pleasure of the Crown.[4]

His disgrace was not permanent: in 1607 he was admitted to the King's Inns and became a member of its governing council. He attended meetings of the council until 1610, after which his name disappears from the records.[5] The Patrick Segrave of Killeglan whose estates were forfeited for his part in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 was probably his son or grandson.[6]

  1. ^ a b Smyth, Constantine Joseph Chronicle of the Law Officers of Ireland London Butterworths 1839
  2. ^ Ball, Francis Elrington (1926). The Judges in Ireland 1221 - 1921. Vol. 1. John Murray London. p. 226. ISBN 9781858000268.
  3. ^ Ball p.226
  4. ^ a b c Crawford, Jon G. (2005). A Star Chamber Court in Ireland- the Court of Castle Chamber 1571-1641. Dublin: Four Courts Press. p. 286. ISBN 9781851829347.
  5. ^ Kenny, Colum (1992). The King's Inns and the Kingdom of Ireland. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. pp. 200–1. ISBN 9780716524724.
  6. ^ D'Alton, John (1855). King James' Irish Army List. Dublin. p. 730. ISBN 9780940134232.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)