page_title: John Everard (MP)
section_title: Judicial career
hierarchical_section_title: John Everard (MP) / Judicial career
caption_attribution_description: English: Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland. Southern wall with tower-house and church.
context_page_description: Sir John Everard was an Irish barrister, politician and judge. He was notable as being the last Irish judge until the reign of James II to openly profess the Roman Catholic faith. His religious beliefs eventually led to his enforced resignation from the Bench. He then entered politics, but his political career descended into farce when, having failed to become Speaker of the Irish House of Commons in 1613, he refused to vacate the Speaker's chair until the successful candidate, Sir John Davies, literally sat on him. He was in temporary disgrace as a result, but was later restored to royal favour. His second son, Sir Richard Everard, was the first of the Everard baronets of Ballyboy.
context_section_description: While some  Irish judges  secretly remained loyal to the  Roman Catholic faith, Everard was apparently  unique in his generation in openly adhering to it, as did his brother James, who became a  Jesuit.  This gave  grave offence to the Crown, especially at a time when the Lord Deputy of Ireland was Sir Arthur Chichester, a firm Protestant who vigorously enforced  the Penal Laws, even going  to the lengths of executing Catholic bishops. Everard however was held in  high regard by most of those who knew him – even Chichester liked him personally – and for a time he was allowed to retain office; but in the long run his position was untenable and he resigned, presumably under  official pressure, in 1607. He was given a pension, and the office of  chief judge, or senseschal  of the Palatine Court of  Tipperary, although that office was largely a sinecure which  was described contemptuously as "the judicial scrapheap". He remained a member of the King's Inns, and was made a Bencher in 1609.
  In addition to the town of  Fethard, of which he was effectively   the owner, he held  substantial lands in Tipperary and in  County Waterford. Though he was accused  by his opponents of  engaging in dubious land dealings he was also noted for  his acts of charity, and  obtained a royal charter  to found two almshouses in Fethard in 1611.
caption: Fethard- the old walls
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