William Hussey (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Hussey SL
(1443 – 8 September 1495) was an English judge who served as Chief Justice of the King’s Bench
.
Hussey was born at Gray's Inn
, Holborn
, London
, Middlesex
, England, the son of John Hussey of Sleaford
, and Elizabeth Noffield.
, and on 16 June 1471 was appointed Attorney General
, with full power of deputing clerks and officers under him in courts of record. As Attorney General he conducted the impeachment of the Duke of Clarence
for treason. In Trinity term of 1478 he was made a Serjeant-at-Law
, and on 7 May 1481 was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
, in succession to Sir Thomas Billing
, at a salary of 140 marks a year. This appointment was renewed at the ascension of each of the next three kings, and under Henry VII
, he was also a commissioner to decide the claims made to fill various offices at the coronation.
In the first year of this reign, he successfully protested against the king
's practice of consulting the judges beforehand upon crown cases which they were subsequently to try. In June 1492, he was a commissioner to treat with the ambassadors of the King of France
. He died in 1495 at Semprington, Lincolnshire
, and on 24 November of that year, Sir John Fineux
succeeded him as Chief Justice
.
, Leicestershire
, and Petronella Brooksby. They had four sons, and two daughters:
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
(1443 – 8 September 1495) was an English judge who served as Chief Justice of the King’s Bench
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,...
.
Hussey was born at Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, 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...
, Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
, 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...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, England, the son of John Hussey of Sleaford
Sleaford
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located thirteen miles northeast of Grantham, seventeen miles west of Boston, and nineteen miles south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time...
, and Elizabeth Noffield.
Career
He was a member of Gray's InnGray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, 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...
, and on 16 June 1471 was appointed Attorney General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
, with full power of deputing clerks and officers under him in courts of record. As Attorney General he conducted the impeachment of the Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick, KG was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the...
for treason. In Trinity term of 1478 he was made a Serjeant-at-Law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
, and on 7 May 1481 was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
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,...
, in succession to Sir Thomas Billing
Thomas Billing
Sir Thomas Billing was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench.-Early life and career:Billing is said by Fuller to have been a native of Northamptonshire, where two villages near Northampton bear his name, and to have afterwards lived in state at Ashwell in that county. Lord...
, at a salary of 140 marks a year. This appointment was renewed at the ascension of each of the next three kings, and under Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, he was also a commissioner to decide the claims made to fill various offices at the coronation.
In the first year of this reign, he successfully protested against the king
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
's practice of consulting the judges beforehand upon crown cases which they were subsequently to try. In June 1492, he was a commissioner to treat with the ambassadors of the King of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
. He died in 1495 at Semprington, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, and on 24 November of that year, Sir John Fineux
John Fineux
Sir John Fineux was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench.-Early life and career:Fineux was the son of William Fyneux of Swingfield, Kent, his mother's name being Monyngs. The family of Fyneux or Fineux was of great antiquity in Kent...
succeeded him as 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,...
.
Family and descendants
About 1474 Hussey married Elizabeth Berkeley (c. 1453 - 1504), daughter of Thomas Berkeley of WymondhamWymondham
Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, on the A11 road to Thetford and London.- Before The Great Fire :...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, and Petronella Brooksby. They had four sons, and two daughters:
- Elizabeth Hussey (d. AmpthillAmpthillAmpthill is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population of about 6,000. It is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council. A regular market has taken place on Thursdays for centuries.-History:...
, 19 November 1516, bur. Warden Abbey); married Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of KentRichard Grey, 3rd Earl of KentRichard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent was an English peer.-Family:He was a son of George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent and his first wife Anne Woodville. His maternal grandparents were Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg.... - Gilbert Hussey
- Thomas Hussey
- John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of SleafordJohn Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of SleafordJohn Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford was Chief Butler of England from 1521 until his death...
(1476–1537); married Margaret Blount; married Anne Grey - Robert Hussey of Linwood (1483 - 20 May 1546), from whom descend the Hussey family of Honnington, Leicestershire (see Hussey BaronetsHussey BaronetsThere have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Hussey family, both in the Baronetage of England. Both creations are extinct.The Hussey Baronetcy, of Honington in the County of Huntingdon, was created in the Baronetage of England on 29 June 1611 for Edward Hussey, subsequently Member of...
); married Anne Saye - Mary Hussey (1484); married William Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de EresbyWilliam Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de EresbyWilliam Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de Eresby was an English baron and the largest landowner in Lincolnshire. He was the son of Sir Christopher Willoughby William Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (1482–1526) was an English baron and the largest landowner in Lincolnshire. He was...