John Perrot
Encyclopedia
Sir John Perrot served as Lord Deputy of Ireland
under Queen Elizabeth I of England
during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. He is alleged to have been the son of King Henry VIII of England
, in an account written by Sir Robert Naunton
, who had married Sir John's granddaughter, Penelope.
, Pembrokeshire
, the third child of Mary Berkeley and Thomas Perrott (or Perrot), Esquire of Haroldston. It was claimed he was the son of Henry VIII
, whom Perrot notoriously resembled in temperament and appearance.
Others reject the claim. According to Turvey, the allegation of Henry VIII's fatherhood originated with Sir Robert Naunton
(1563–1635).
Naunton never knew Sir John, and used second-hand accounts of his person and character, along with a series of historically inaccurate events to reach his conclusion on John's paternity. For example, John was Mary Berkeley's third child, not her first, and history does not record her and the king being in the same location during this period. Naunton even claimed that Sir Owen Hopton
, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, overheard Sir John say, 'Will the Queen suffer her brother to be offered up a sacrifice to the envy of his frisking adversaries?' thus suggesting that Perrot himself fueled the rumours of his paternity. However, Hopton had been removed from the Tower 18 months prior to Perrot's imprisonment, so he could not have overheard Perrot make the claim there.
Perrot joined the household of William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester
, and thereby gained his introduction to King Henry VIII. His advancement faltered on the death of the king in January 1547, but Perrot did receive a knighthood at the coronation of Henry's successor, King Edward VI
in the following month. He was appointed High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire
for 1551.
In June 1551 Perrot also visited France
in the train of William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
, who had been sent to arrange the marriage of the king to Elizabeth of Valois, the infant daughter of Henry II of France
and of Catherine de' Medici
. Perrot's skill as a knight and in the hunt fascinated Henry, who sought to retain him for reward. Perrot declined, but on his return to England
his debts were paid by the French king.
During the reign of Mary I of England
(1553–1558), Perrot suffered a brief imprisonment in the Fleet
with his uncle, Robert Perrott, on a charge of sheltering heretic
s at his house in Wales. Following his release, he declined to assist William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke
in seeking out heretics in south Wales, but went on to serve with him at the capture of Saint-Quentin
in 1557. In spite of his Protestantism
, Perrot was granted the castle and lordship of Carew
in Pembrokeshire
, and at the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's
reign the naval defence of South Wales
was entrusted to his care. In 1562 he was elected knight of the shire for Pembrokeshire
.
in Ireland, a province in the throes of the first of the Desmond Rebellions
. Perrot landed at Waterford
in February of the following year and reduced the province to peace in a vigorous campaign.
The chief rebel, James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald
, eluded government forces for some time. In one grisly incident, after fifty rebels had been slain, Perrot sought to awe the rebels by cutting of the heads of the slain and fixing them to the market cross of Kilmallock
. Fitzmaurice refused to come in and Perrot issued him with a challenge to single combat, which the rebel declined with the comment, "For if I should kill Sir John Perrot the Queen of England can send another president into this province; but if he do kill me there is none other to succeed me or to command as I do." Perrot's offer provoked mutterings from the more level-headed servants of the crown, and his reputation for rashness grew. Soon after, he was ambushed by the rebels, who outnumbered his force ten to one, but was relieved when the attackers fled on mistaking a small cavalry company for the advance party of a larger crown force. In 1572, after a second and successful siege of the Geraldine stronghold of Castlemaine, Perrot had the satisfaction of receiving Fitzmaurice's submission.
Perrot authorised over 800 hangings - most by martial law
- but his presidency is regarded as successful. He criticised the reinstatement after the rebellion of the chief nobleman of Munster, Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
, and having vainly sought his own recall, departed Ireland without leave in July 1573. Upon presenting himself at court he was permitted to resign his office, in which he was succeeded by Sir William Drury
.
Perrot returned to his Welsh home and occupied himself as vice-admiral of the Welsh seas and on the Council of the Marches
. In 1578 the deputy-admiral, Richard Vaughan, accused him of tyranny, subversion of justice, and dealing with pirates; but Perrot retained the confidence of the Crown, for he became commissioner for piracy in Pembrokeshire in 1578, and in the following year received the command of a naval squadron charged with the interception of Spanish ships on the Irish coast.
, to replace Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton
who had been recalled to England two years earlier. His chief task was to begin the plantation of the southern province of Munster, a significant escalation of colonial policy. The Crown sought to parcel out lands at nominal rents from the confiscated estates of the lately defeated Earl of Desmond - some 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) - on condition that the undertakers establish English farmers and labourers to build towns and work the land.
Before he had time to begin the plantation, Perrot got wind of raids into the northern province of Ulster by the Highland clans of Maclean and MacDonnell at the invitation of Sorley Boy MacDonnell
. Perrot marched his army beyond the Pale
and into Ulster, but Sorley Boy escaped by crossing over to Scotland, only to return later with reinforcements. Although Elizabeth roundly abused her deputy for launching such an unadvised campaign, by 1586 Perrot had brought Sorley Boy to a mutually beneficial submission. At about this time he also sanctioned the kidnapping of Hugh Roe O'Donnell
(lured to a wine tasting on a merchant ship and then sealed in a cabin and brought to Dublin), a move which gave the crown some leverage in western Ulster. Perrot's northern strategy also brought the submission of Hugh Maguire
, Lord of Fermanagh.
In the south, the plantation of Munster got off to a slow start in the face of legal challenges by landowners associated with the attainted Geraldine rebels. In 1585 Perrot did have success in perfecting a composition of the western province of Connaught
, an unusually even-handed contract between crown and landowners by which the queen received certain rents in return for settling land titles and tenant dues. In the same year a parliament
was convened at Dublin, the first since 1569, with many spectators expressing great hopes upon the attendance of the Gaelic
lords. The sessions proved disappointing: although the act for the attainder
of Desmond (which rendered the rebel's estates at the disposal of the crown) was passed, the legislative programme ran into difficulty, particularly over the suspension of Poynings' Law. At the prorogation of parliament in 1587 Perrot was so frustrated with the influence of factions within both chambers of the house (orchestrated to a large degree by Sir Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond) that he begged to be recalled to England.
Perrot had helped to establish peace in Ireland, but unsparing criticism of his associates in government made him numerous enemies. A hastily conceived plan for the conversion of the revenues of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
to fund the erection of two colleges led to a sustained quarrel with Adam Loftus, archbishop of Dublin
, which Perrot wilfully aggravated by his interference with the authority of Loftus as lord chancellor. Perrot also interfered in Richard Bingham
's government of Connaught, and in May 1587 be actually struck Sir Nicholas Bagenal
, the elderly knight marshal, in the council chamber, an incident his enemies blamed on his drunkenness. In January 1588 Elizabeth granted Perrot's request for recall. Six months later he was succeeded by the experienced Sir William Fitzwilliam
. In 1559 he was again elected to Parliament to represent Haverfordwest
in 1588, Perrot found himself accused of treason on allegations presented by a former priest and condemned prisoner, Dennis O'Roghan. The evidence was contained in correspondence allegedly addressed by Perrot as lord deputy (with his signature attached) to King Philip II of Spain
and the Duke of Parma, in which certain treasonable promises and bargains were put forward concerning the future of England, Wales and Ireland.
Fitzwilliam set up an investigation in Dublin, but O'Roghan's record of forging documents was produced, and it seemed the allegations would run into the sand. Rather than let the matter lie, it was decided (probably at Perrot's urging) to pursue an inquiry into the manner in which the allegations had been brought in the first place, a process likely to embarrass Fitzwilliam. The inquiry was conducted in Dublin by a commission that included several of Perrot's favourites on the Irish council.
In a lengthy interrogation the priest alleged that he had been tortured by members of the commission. Fitzwilliam was instantly directed on strict instruction from the queen to resume his own investigation and forward his findings to the Privy Council
in London
. Perrot faced a moment of crisis
when further allegations were made - most notably by his former secretary - of his frequent use in private conversation of violent language against the queen. Allegations were also made of his prior knowledge of the rebellion in 1589 of Sir Brian O'Rourke
(later extradited from Scotland and hanged at London), which had occurred under the government of Bingham in Connaught.
Perrot was confined to the Tower
, and in 1592 was brought to trial before a special commission on charges of high treason
. The O'Roghan's forged letters and the evidence concerning the O'Rourke rebellion played their part in the prosecution case, but the evidence most vividly presented was of his remarks about Elizabeth: he was said to have called the queen a "base bastard piskitchin" and to have disparaged her legitimacy on many occasions. Perrot protested his loyalty to the jury and, in reaction to a hectoring prosecution counsel, eloquently cried out, "You win men's lives away with words". But his defence then descended into blustering, and a verdict of guilty was returned. Sentencing was put off for some months in the expectation of a royal pardon, but Perrot died in the Tower in September 1592.
Following Perrot's arraignment several of his favourites from the Irish commission to inquire into O'Roghan's allegations were replaced in their council seats by English appointees, who fully equated the Protestant cause with the state and inclined to take a harder line in dealing with Gaelic Ireland. Fitzwilliam was thus free to pursue a policy opposed in crucial aspects to Perrot's, and the northern lords (including Hugh O'Neill) found themselves subjected to increasing government encroachment on their territories, which resulted in the outbreak of the Nine Years War (1595–1603).
In March 1593, some four months after his death, the attainder on his property was lifted so that his son Thomas - who had married a daughter of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
(and who thus became a brother-in-law of Elizabeth's favourite Essex
) - could inherit.
Perrot also fathered bastard children. The best known, Sir James Perrott (1571–1637), produced the manuscript The life, deedes and death of Sir John Perrott, knight (published in 1728). A son John, born about 1565, appears in an entry in the Inner Temple
Register dated 5 June 1583: "John Perot, of Haryve, Co. Pembroke, 3rd son of John Perot, Knight". A daughter Elizabeth, who married Hugh Butler of Johnston, was the granddaughter of Sir Christopher Hatton
, later enemy of Sir John.
Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...
under Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. He is alleged to have been the son of King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, in an account written by Sir Robert Naunton
Robert Naunton
Sir Robert Naunton was an English writer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1606 and 1626.-Life:...
, who had married Sir John's granddaughter, Penelope.
Early life
John Perrot was born at Haroldston, near HaverfordwestHaverfordwest
Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales and serves as the County's principal commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, the third child of Mary Berkeley and Thomas Perrott (or Perrot), Esquire of Haroldston. It was claimed he was the son of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, whom Perrot notoriously resembled in temperament and appearance.
Others reject the claim. According to Turvey, the allegation of Henry VIII's fatherhood originated with Sir Robert Naunton
Robert Naunton
Sir Robert Naunton was an English writer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1606 and 1626.-Life:...
(1563–1635).
Naunton never knew Sir John, and used second-hand accounts of his person and character, along with a series of historically inaccurate events to reach his conclusion on John's paternity. For example, John was Mary Berkeley's third child, not her first, and history does not record her and the king being in the same location during this period. Naunton even claimed that Sir Owen Hopton
Owen Hopton
Sir Owen Hopton was an English administrator and politician.He was born the son of Sir Arthur Hopton of Cockfield Hall, Yoxford and knighted in 1561.He was the Lieutenant of the Tower of London from 1570 to 1590...
, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, overheard Sir John say, 'Will the Queen suffer her brother to be offered up a sacrifice to the envy of his frisking adversaries?' thus suggesting that Perrot himself fueled the rumours of his paternity. However, Hopton had been removed from the Tower 18 months prior to Perrot's imprisonment, so he could not have overheard Perrot make the claim there.
Perrot joined the household of William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester
William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester
Sir William Paulet was an English Secretary of State and statesman who attained several peerages throughout his lifetime: Baron St John , Earl of Wiltshire , and Marquess of Winchester .-Family origins and early career in Hampshire:William Paulet was eldest son of Sir John Paulet of...
, and thereby gained his introduction to King Henry VIII. His advancement faltered on the death of the king in January 1547, but Perrot did receive a knighthood at the coronation of Henry's successor, King Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
in the following month. He was appointed High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire
High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Pembrokeshire. Under the Local Government Act 1888, an elected county council was set up to take over the functions of the Pembrokeshire Quarter Sessions...
for 1551.
In June 1551 Perrot also visited France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the train of William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
, who had been sent to arrange the marriage of the king to Elizabeth of Valois, the infant daughter of Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
and of Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
. Perrot's skill as a knight and in the hunt fascinated Henry, who sought to retain him for reward. Perrot declined, but on his return to England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
his debts were paid by the French king.
During the reign of Mary I of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
(1553–1558), Perrot suffered a brief imprisonment in the Fleet
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
with his uncle, Robert Perrott, on a charge of sheltering heretic
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
s at his house in Wales. Following his release, he declined to assist William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1506-1570)
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, 1st Baron Herbert of Cardiff, KG was a Tudor period noble and courtier.Herbert was the son of Sir Richard Herbert and Margaret Cradock...
in seeking out heretics in south Wales, but went on to serve with him at the capture of Saint-Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
in 1557. In spite of his Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, Perrot was granted the castle and lordship of Carew
Carew Castle
Carew Castle is a castle in the civil parish of Carew in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire. The famous Carew family take their name from the place, and still own the castle, although it is leased to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which administers the site.-Construction:The present castle,...
in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, and at the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
reign the naval defence of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
was entrusted to his care. In 1562 he was elected knight of the shire for Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Pembrokeshire was a parliamentary constituency based on the county of Pembrokeshire in Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
.
Munster
In 1570 Perrot reluctantly accepted the newly-created post of Lord President of MunsterLord President of Munster
The post of Lord President of Munster was the most important office in the English government of the Irish province of Munster from its introduction in the Elizabethan era for a century, to 1672, a period including the Desmond Rebellions in Munster, the Nine Years' War, and the Irish Rebellion of...
in Ireland, a province in the throes of the first of the Desmond Rebellions
Desmond Rebellions
The Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569-1573 and 1579-1583 in the Irish province of Munster.They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond – head of the FitzGerald dynasty in Munster – and his followers, the Geraldines and their allies against the threat of the extension of Elizabethan English...
. Perrot landed at Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
in February of the following year and reduced the province to peace in a vigorous campaign.
The chief rebel, James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald
James FitzMaurice FitzGerald
James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald was a member of the 16th century ruling Geraldine dynasty in the province of Munster in Ireland. He rebelled against the crown authority of Queen Elizabeth I of England in response to the onset of the Tudor conquest of Ireland and was deemed an archtraitor...
, eluded government forces for some time. In one grisly incident, after fifty rebels had been slain, Perrot sought to awe the rebels by cutting of the heads of the slain and fixing them to the market cross of Kilmallock
Kilmallock
Kilmallock or Kilmalloc is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King's Castle . The remains of medieval walls which encircled the settlement are still visible. The Dublin–Cork railway line passes by the town,...
. Fitzmaurice refused to come in and Perrot issued him with a challenge to single combat, which the rebel declined with the comment, "For if I should kill Sir John Perrot the Queen of England can send another president into this province; but if he do kill me there is none other to succeed me or to command as I do." Perrot's offer provoked mutterings from the more level-headed servants of the crown, and his reputation for rashness grew. Soon after, he was ambushed by the rebels, who outnumbered his force ten to one, but was relieved when the attackers fled on mistaking a small cavalry company for the advance party of a larger crown force. In 1572, after a second and successful siege of the Geraldine stronghold of Castlemaine, Perrot had the satisfaction of receiving Fitzmaurice's submission.
Perrot authorised over 800 hangings - most by martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
- but his presidency is regarded as successful. He criticised the reinstatement after the rebellion of the chief nobleman of Munster, Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond was an Irish nobleman and leader of the Desmond Rebellions of 1579.-Life:...
, and having vainly sought his own recall, departed Ireland without leave in July 1573. Upon presenting himself at court he was permitted to resign his office, in which he was succeeded by Sir William Drury
William Drury
Sir William Drury, Knt., was an English statesman and soldier,He was a son of Sir Robert Drury of Hedgerley in Buckinghamshire, and grandson of another Sir Robert Drury , who was speaker of the House of Commons in 1495. He was a brother of Dru Drury.He was born at Hawstead in Suffolk, and was...
.
Perrot returned to his Welsh home and occupied himself as vice-admiral of the Welsh seas and on the Council of the Marches
Council of the Marches
The Council of Wales and the Marches was a regional administrative body within the Kingdom of England between the 15th and 17th centuries, similar to the Council of the North...
. In 1578 the deputy-admiral, Richard Vaughan, accused him of tyranny, subversion of justice, and dealing with pirates; but Perrot retained the confidence of the Crown, for he became commissioner for piracy in Pembrokeshire in 1578, and in the following year received the command of a naval squadron charged with the interception of Spanish ships on the Irish coast.
Lord Deputy of Ireland
In 1584 Perrot was appointed Lord Deputy of IrelandLord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...
, to replace Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton
Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton
Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton was a baron in the Peerage of England, remembered mainly for his memoir of his father, and for participating in the last defence of Calais.-Life:...
who had been recalled to England two years earlier. His chief task was to begin the plantation of the southern province of Munster, a significant escalation of colonial policy. The Crown sought to parcel out lands at nominal rents from the confiscated estates of the lately defeated Earl of Desmond - some 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) - on condition that the undertakers establish English farmers and labourers to build towns and work the land.
Before he had time to begin the plantation, Perrot got wind of raids into the northern province of Ulster by the Highland clans of Maclean and MacDonnell at the invitation of Sorley Boy MacDonnell
Sorley Boy MacDonnell
Somhairle Buidhe Mac Domhnaill , Scoto-Irish prince or flaith and chief, was the son of Alexander MacDonnell, lord of Islay and Kintyre , and Catherine, daughter of the Lord of Ardnamurchan...
. Perrot marched his army beyond the Pale
The Pale
The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk...
and into Ulster, but Sorley Boy escaped by crossing over to Scotland, only to return later with reinforcements. Although Elizabeth roundly abused her deputy for launching such an unadvised campaign, by 1586 Perrot had brought Sorley Boy to a mutually beneficial submission. At about this time he also sanctioned the kidnapping of Hugh Roe O'Donnell
Hugh Roe O'Donnell
Aodh Rua Ó Dónaill, anglicised as either Hugh Roe O'Donnell or Red Hugh O'Donnell , was An Ó Domhnaill and Rí of Tir Chonaill . He led the Irish forces against the English conquest of Ireland from 1593 and helped to lead the Nine Years' War from 1595 to 1603...
(lured to a wine tasting on a merchant ship and then sealed in a cabin and brought to Dublin), a move which gave the crown some leverage in western Ulster. Perrot's northern strategy also brought the submission of Hugh Maguire
Hugh Maguire
Aodh Mag Uidhir, anglicised as Hugh Maguire was the Lord of Fermanagh in Ireland during the reign of Elizabeth I and leader of the ancient Maguire clan; he died fighting crown authority during the Nine Years War.-Early career:...
, Lord of Fermanagh.
In the south, the plantation of Munster got off to a slow start in the face of legal challenges by landowners associated with the attainted Geraldine rebels. In 1585 Perrot did have success in perfecting a composition of the western province of Connaught
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. 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...
, an unusually even-handed contract between crown and landowners by which the queen received certain rents in return for settling land titles and tenant dues. In the same year a parliament
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
was convened at Dublin, the first since 1569, with many spectators expressing great hopes upon the attendance of the Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
lords. The sessions proved disappointing: although the act for the attainder
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
of Desmond (which rendered the rebel's estates at the disposal of the crown) was passed, the legislative programme ran into difficulty, particularly over the suspension of Poynings' Law. At the prorogation of parliament in 1587 Perrot was so frustrated with the influence of factions within both chambers of the house (orchestrated to a large degree by Sir Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond) that he begged to be recalled to England.
Perrot had helped to establish peace in Ireland, but unsparing criticism of his associates in government made him numerous enemies. A hastily conceived plan for the conversion of the revenues of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Saint Patrick's Cathedral , or more formally, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Patrick is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland which was founded in 1191. The Church has designated it as The National Cathedral of Ireland...
to fund the erection of two colleges led to a sustained quarrel with Adam Loftus, archbishop of Dublin
Adam Loftus (Archbishop)
thumb|right|200px|Archbishop Adam LoftusAdam Loftus was Archbishop of Armagh, and later Dublin, and Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1581. He was also the first Provost of Trinity College, Dublin.-Early life:...
, which Perrot wilfully aggravated by his interference with the authority of Loftus as lord chancellor. Perrot also interfered in Richard Bingham
Richard Bingham
Sir Richard Bingham was an English soldier and naval commander, who served in Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I during the conquest of the country and was appointed governor of Connacht.- Early life and military career :...
's government of Connaught, and in May 1587 be actually struck Sir Nicholas Bagenal
Nicholas Bagenal
Sir Nicholas Bagenal or Bagnal was an English soldier, marshal of the army in Ireland.-Life:Born about 1510, he was second son of John Bagnal , a tailor who served as mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme by his wife Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Whittingham of Middlewich, Cheshire, and cousin of William...
, the elderly knight marshal, in the council chamber, an incident his enemies blamed on his drunkenness. In January 1588 Elizabeth granted Perrot's request for recall. Six months later he was succeeded by the experienced Sir William Fitzwilliam
William Fitzwilliam (Lord Deputy)
- Early life :FitzWilliam was born at Milton, Northamptonshire, the eldest son of Sir William and grandson of William Fitzwilliam , alderman and sheriff of London, who had been treasurer and chamberlain to Cardinal Wolsey and who purchased Milton in 1506...
. In 1559 he was again elected to Parliament to represent Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)
Haverfordwest was a parliamentary constituency. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
Ruin
Upon Perrot's return to England, his enemies continued to work his ruin. At first he was received with favour and was appointed to the Privy Council, where he maintained his interest in Irish affairs through correspondence with several members of the council in Dublin. In the heated politics following the defeat of the Spanish ArmadaSpanish Armada in Ireland
The Spanish Armada in Ireland refers to the landfall made upon the coast of Ireland in September 1588 of a large portion of the 130-strong fleet sent by Philip II to invade England....
in 1588, Perrot found himself accused of treason on allegations presented by a former priest and condemned prisoner, Dennis O'Roghan. The evidence was contained in correspondence allegedly addressed by Perrot as lord deputy (with his signature attached) to King Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
and the Duke of Parma, in which certain treasonable promises and bargains were put forward concerning the future of England, Wales and Ireland.
Fitzwilliam set up an investigation in Dublin, but O'Roghan's record of forging documents was produced, and it seemed the allegations would run into the sand. Rather than let the matter lie, it was decided (probably at Perrot's urging) to pursue an inquiry into the manner in which the allegations had been brought in the first place, a process likely to embarrass Fitzwilliam. The inquiry was conducted in Dublin by a commission that included several of Perrot's favourites on the Irish council.
In a lengthy interrogation the priest alleged that he had been tortured by members of the commission. Fitzwilliam was instantly directed on strict instruction from the queen to resume his own investigation and forward his findings to the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Perrot faced a moment of crisis
Crisis
A crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community or whole society...
when further allegations were made - most notably by his former secretary - of his frequent use in private conversation of violent language against the queen. Allegations were also made of his prior knowledge of the rebellion in 1589 of Sir Brian O'Rourke
Brian O'Rourke
Lord Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc , hereditary lord of West Bréifne in Ireland during the later stages of the Tudor conquest of that country, was proclaimed by the English to be a rebel and became the first man extradited within Britain for crimes alleged to have been committed in Ireland.-Early life:Ó...
(later extradited from Scotland and hanged at London), which had occurred under the government of Bingham in Connaught.
Perrot was confined to the Tower
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, and in 1592 was brought to trial before a special commission on charges of high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
. The O'Roghan's forged letters and the evidence concerning the O'Rourke rebellion played their part in the prosecution case, but the evidence most vividly presented was of his remarks about Elizabeth: he was said to have called the queen a "base bastard piskitchin" and to have disparaged her legitimacy on many occasions. Perrot protested his loyalty to the jury and, in reaction to a hectoring prosecution counsel, eloquently cried out, "You win men's lives away with words". But his defence then descended into blustering, and a verdict of guilty was returned. Sentencing was put off for some months in the expectation of a royal pardon, but Perrot died in the Tower in September 1592.
Following Perrot's arraignment several of his favourites from the Irish commission to inquire into O'Roghan's allegations were replaced in their council seats by English appointees, who fully equated the Protestant cause with the state and inclined to take a harder line in dealing with Gaelic Ireland. Fitzwilliam was thus free to pursue a policy opposed in crucial aspects to Perrot's, and the northern lords (including Hugh O'Neill) found themselves subjected to increasing government encroachment on their territories, which resulted in the outbreak of the Nine Years War (1595–1603).
Family
Perrot married twice:- to Anne Chayney of Kent, who bore his son and heir Thomas
- to Jane Pruet [Prust] of HartlandHartland AbbeyHartland Abbey is a former abbey and current family home to the Stucley family. It is located in Hartland, Devon. The current owner is Sir Hugh George Copplestone Bampfylde Stucley, 6th Baronet....
in Devonshire, who bore him a son, William Perrot, and two daughters:- Anne, who married Sir John Phillips, 1st Baronet, of Picton CastlePicton CastlePicton Castle is a medieval castle near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Originally built at the end of the 13th century by Sir John Wogan and is still inhabited by his descendants, the Philipps family ....
, ancestor of the Viscount St DavidsViscount St DavidsViscount St Davids, of Lydstep Haven in the County of Pembroke, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1918 for John Philipps, 1st Baron St Davids. The Philipps family descends from Sir John Philipps, who represented Pembrokeshire in the House of Commons... - Lettice, who married Sir Arthur Chichester
- Anne, who married Sir John Phillips, 1st Baronet, of Picton Castle
In March 1593, some four months after his death, the attainder on his property was lifted so that his son Thomas - who had married a daughter of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, KG , an English nobleman and general. From 1573 until his death he fought in Ireland in connection with the Plantation of Ulster, where he ordered the massacre of Rathlin Island...
(and who thus became a brother-in-law of Elizabeth's favourite Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
) - could inherit.
Perrot also fathered bastard children. The best known, Sir James Perrott (1571–1637), produced the manuscript The life, deedes and death of Sir John Perrott, knight (published in 1728). A son John, born about 1565, appears in an entry in the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
Register dated 5 June 1583: "John Perot, of Haryve, Co. Pembroke, 3rd son of John Perot, Knight". A daughter Elizabeth, who married Hugh Butler of Johnston, was the granddaughter of Sir Christopher Hatton
Christopher Hatton
Sir Christopher Hatton was an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England.-Early days:...
, later enemy of Sir John.
External links
- Sir John Perrot on Welsh Biography Online
- Sir John Perrot at castlewales.com
- Perrot's of Pembrokeshire: Sir John's ancestors and extended family
- John Perrot (Parret) (1528/29-92)
- Trial of Sir John Perrot, April 27, 1592- Google book facsimile of Cobbett's State Trials (p.1591 ff.)
Other sources
- Richard Bagwell, Ireland under the Tudors 3 vols. (London, 1885–1890).
- John O'Donovan (ed.) Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters (1851).
- Calendar of State Papers: Carew MSS. 6 vols (London, 1867–1873).
- Calendar of State Papers: Ireland (London)
- Colm Lennon Sixteenth Century Ireland – The Incomplete Conquest (Dublin, 1995) ISBN 0-312-12462-7.
- Nicholas P. Canny Making Ireland British, 1580–1650 (Oxford University Press, 2001) ISBN 0-19-820091-9.
- Steven G. Ellis Tudor Ireland (London, 1985) ISBN 0-582-49341-2.
- Hiram Morgan Tyrone's Rebellion (1995).
- Cyril Falls Elizabeth's Irish Wars (1950; reprint London, 1996) ISBN 0-09-477220-7.
- Gerard Anthony Hayes McCoy Irish Battles (Belfast, 1989) ISBN 0-86281-212-7.
- Dictionary of National Biography 22 vols. (London, 1921–1922).
- The Prust Papers, at the North Devon Records Office, supplied by Hartland Digital Archive 2007
Further reading
- A Critical Edition of Sir James Perrot's The Life, Deedes and Death of Sir John Perrott, Knight by Roger Turvey (2002)
- The Mistresses of Henry VIII by Kelly Hart (2009)
- Sir John Perrot, Knight of Bath, 1527-1591 by G. Douglas James (1962)
- Sir John Perrot and the Irish Parliament of 1585-6 by V. Treadwell (1985)