James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough
Encyclopedia
James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough (ca. 1552 – 1629) was Lord Chief Justice
of the King's Bench
in Ireland
and then in England
; he was an English Member of Parliament
and was Lord High Treasurer
from 1624 to 1628. On 31 December 1624, James I
created him Baron Ley, of Ley in the County of Devon, and on 5 February 1626, Charles I
created him Earl of Marlborough. From July 1628 until December 1628 he was Lord President of the Council
. Both titles became extinct upon the death of the 4th Earl of Marlborough in 1679.
, Wiltshire, where he was born in about 1552. He attended both Cambridge and Oxford Universities, graduating from Brasenose College
in 1574. He then trained as a barrister
, becoming a bencher of Lincolns Inn and reader of Furnival's Inn
. He married Mary Pettie, of Stoke Talmage
, Oxfordshire
, by whom he had two sons and eight daughters, including the poet Lady Hester Pulter
.
for Westbury
in 1597. In 1603, he was appointed a judge on the Carmarthen circuit in June 1603. That November he became a serjeant at law; in December James I
knighted him, before sending him to Dublin as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland
. He also served on the Privy Council of Ireland
. Amongst other things, he caused the English Book of Common Prayer
to be translated into Irish, and sought to enforce Protestant church attendance on Irish lords.
He was called back to England in 1608, ostensibly to brief the English Privy Council
on the settlement of Ulster
. He was then appointed to the lucrative post of Attorney-General of the Court of Wards. Further promotion came slowly. He was member of Parliament for Westbury again in 1609-10 and for Bath
in 1614, being made a baronet in 1619. In 1621 he was made an English judge at Westminster, when he became Lord Chief Justice
. He was again returned for Westbury, but was required to preside in the House of Lords
following the disgrace of Francis Bacon
, though he was not made Lord Chancellor
.
Late in 1624, he replaced Cranfield
as Lord High Treasurer
, also being sworn as a Privy Councillor. He was created Baron Ley
, and then in 1626 Earl of Marlborough
. His treasurership was a difficult one due to Charles I
's financial difficulties. He retired from this in 1628, and then briefly held the post of Lord President of the Council
. However he soon retired to Lincolns Inn and died the following March.
. None of his works on legal or antiquarian subjects were published in his lifetime, but his grandson James Ley, 3rd Earl of Marlborough
arranged for the publication of his treatise on wardship in 1642, and a collection of law reports in 1659. Four of his papers to the Society of Antiquaries were published by Thomas Hearne
in his Collection of Curious Discourses (1720).
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
of the King's Bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and then in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; he was an English Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and was Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Act of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third highest ranked Great Officer of State, below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President...
from 1624 to 1628. On 31 December 1624, James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
created him Baron Ley, of Ley in the County of Devon, and on 5 February 1626, Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
created him Earl of Marlborough. From July 1628 until December 1628 he was Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. Both titles became extinct upon the death of the 4th Earl of Marlborough in 1679.
Early life
James Ley was a younger son of a the soldier and landowner Henry Ley (died 1574), of Teffont EviasTeffont Evias
Teffont Evias, also Teffont Ewyas, past alternative spellings including Tevont Evias, is a small village and former civil parish in the south of Wiltshire, England. The present buildings are mostly of local stone, and several are thatched...
, Wiltshire, where he was born in about 1552. He attended both Cambridge and Oxford Universities, graduating from Brasenose College
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
in 1574. He then trained as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, becoming a bencher of Lincolns Inn and reader of Furnival's Inn
Furnival's Inn
Furnival's Inn was an Inn of Chancery which formerly stood on the site of the present Holborn Bars building in Holborn, London, England.-History:...
. He married Mary Pettie, of Stoke Talmage
Stoke Talmage
Stoke Talmage is a village and civil parish south of Thame in Oxfordshire.Stoke Talmage seems to have had a parish church since the 11th century, although the first clear historical reference to it dates from 1219. The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary Magdalene was restored in 1758....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, by whom he had two sons and eight daughters, including the poet Lady Hester Pulter
Lady Hester Pulter
Lady Hester Pulter was a seventeenth-century writer, whose manuscript was rediscovered in 1996 in the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds.- Life :...
.
Public service
He was elected as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Westbury
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
in 1597. In 1603, he was appointed a judge on the Carmarthen circuit in June 1603. That November he became a serjeant at law; in December James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
knighted him, before sending him to Dublin as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland
Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland
The Court of King's Bench was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England...
. He also served on the Privy Council of Ireland
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
. Amongst other things, he caused the English Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
to be translated into Irish, and sought to enforce Protestant church attendance on Irish lords.
He was called back to England in 1608, ostensibly to brief the English Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
on the settlement of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. He was then appointed to the lucrative post of Attorney-General of the Court of Wards. Further promotion came slowly. He was member of Parliament for Westbury again in 1609-10 and for Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
in 1614, being made a baronet in 1619. In 1621 he was made an English judge at Westminster, when he became Lord Chief Justice
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
. He was again returned for Westbury, but was required to preside in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
following the disgrace of Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
, though he was not made Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
.
Late in 1624, he replaced Cranfield
Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex
Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex was a successful merchant in London, England.-Life:He was the second son of Thomas Cranfield, a mercer at London, and his wife Martha Randill, the daughter and heiress of Vincent Randill of Sutton-at-Hone, Kent. He was apprenticed in to Richard Sheppard, a...
as Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Act of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third highest ranked Great Officer of State, below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President...
, also being sworn as a Privy Councillor. He was created Baron Ley
Earl of Marlborough
Earl of Marlborough is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came on 5 February 1626 in favour of James Ley, 1st Baron Ley, Lord Chief Justice and Lord High Treasurer...
, and then in 1626 Earl of Marlborough
Earl of Marlborough
Earl of Marlborough is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came on 5 February 1626 in favour of James Ley, 1st Baron Ley, Lord Chief Justice and Lord High Treasurer...
. His treasurership was a difficult one due to Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's financial difficulties. He retired from this in 1628, and then briefly held the post of Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. However he soon retired to Lincolns Inn and died the following March.
Other achievements
Ley was a founder member of the Society of AntiquariesSociety of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
. None of his works on legal or antiquarian subjects were published in his lifetime, but his grandson James Ley, 3rd Earl of Marlborough
James Ley, 3rd Earl of Marlborough
James Ley, 3rd Earl of Marlborough was a British peer and Member of Parliament, styled Lord Ley from 1629 to 1638.He was the only son of Henry Ley, 2nd Earl of Marlborough, whom he succeeded in 1638...
arranged for the publication of his treatise on wardship in 1642, and a collection of law reports in 1659. Four of his papers to the Society of Antiquaries were published by Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne or Hearn , English antiquary, was born at Littlefield Green in the parish of White Waltham, Berkshire.-Life:...
in his Collection of Curious Discourses (1720).