Sir William Davys

Sir William Davys ( born before 1633, died 1687) was an Irish judge who held the offices of Recorder of Dublin, Prime Serjeant and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. He was often accused of Catholic sympathies and threatened with removal from the bench, but survived largely due to influential connections.

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Having reached the height of his career, Davys damaged his standing by his second marriage to Elizabeth FitzGerald, daughter of George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare Whether it was for love or social position, the marriage offended both the Archbishop and Elizabeth's family, who were engaged in a law suit with the Ormonde family, which came before Davys as Chief Justice. The FitzGeralds accused Davys of bias and threatened to have him removed from the Bench: Davys replied that he feared to do wrong, but did not fear the consequences of doing justice.

Possibly Davys was attracted by the wealth of his teenage stepson Donough MacCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarty, while Donough's uncle Justin MacCarthy, later Viscount Mountcashel was close to the future James II. Unfortunately Justin quarreled irrevocably with Lady Davys, when in an episode that caused some scandal, he virtually kidnapped the young earl and forced him into an underage marriage with Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland. The marriage, which turned out badly, caused Davys' wife much grief, and suggests that he had little influence at Court.

Will

Davy's daughter by Martha Boyle died young; he wished to provide for his step-daughter, Catherine MacCarthy. At the same time he wished his house, St. Catherine's Park, Leixlip which he had bought and greatly improved, to remain in the Davys family. His will contained the curious condition that whichever son of his brother John married Catherine should inherit. His nephew Paul married her, duly inherited, and after Justin MacCarthy's death had the title Lord Mountcashel revived.

Reputation

Elrington Ball suggests that whatever William Davys' virtues, he owed his advancement largely to his father's reputation and the friendship of Ormonde.[2] On the other hand his refusal to give in to threats from the FitzGerald family suggests that he was a man of integrity, and whatever his personal religion seems to have been in favour of tolerance.

Citations

• 2. Ball, F. Elrington (1926). The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921. 1. London: John Murray London. Page 292.

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1. A Genealogical History of the Dormant: Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct ...  By Sir Bernard Burke. Page 161. "DAVYS, VISCOUNT MOUNTCASHEL.". Married 1st, Martha, third daughter of Michael Boyle, archbishop of Armaugh, died 14 May 1680. Daughter Mary buried 20 Aug 1683. Married 2nd, Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, widow of Callaghan McCarthy; no issue.