Godfrey Boate (1673-1722) was an Irish judge: he is mainly remembered now for incurring the enmity of Jonathan Swift, who celebrated Boate's death with the mocking Quibbling Elegy on Judge Boat.[1]
He was born in County Tipperary, the eldest son of Godfrey Boate senior. There is some doubt about his year of birth: his memorial, which gives his age as 46, suggests that it was 1676, but it is usually given as 1673. His father was a clerk in the Court of Chancery (Ireland), but this position may have been a sinecure, since the Boate family were substantial landowners in Tipperary. These lands had been granted to Katherine (or Caterina) Menning, widow of Gerard Boate (1604-1650), author of The Natural History of Ireland; Gerard and Katherine were Godfrey's grandparents. The Boate family, originally called de Boot, came to Ireland from Gorinchem in the Netherlands in the 1640s.[2]
Career
Godfrey went to school in Dublin and attended the University of Dublin where he matriculated in 1692.[3] He entered Gray's Inn the same year and was called to the Irish Bar. After a brief period as Master in Chancery, he became Prime Serjeant in 1716. The following year he became third justice of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland);[3]Francis Elrington Ball, in his definitive study of the pre-independence Irish judiciary, thought that Boate was unqualified to be a judge, an opinion with which Jonathan Swift, who knew and loathed Boate, would most certainly have agreed. Sir Richard Levinge, 1st Baronet, Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, also had a very poor opinion of Boate, as he did of almost all of his colleagues on the Bench.[4]
Death and family
Boate died of dropsy in the summer of 1722, apparently while visiting his wife's relatives in England.[3] He was buried in All Saints' Church, Hillesden, Buckinghamshire,[5] where his memorial still exists.[6] He married Cary Denton, eldest daughter of Alexander Denton of Hillesden, Buckinghamshire and Hester Herman, and sister of Sir Edmund Denton and the judge Alexander Denton. She died in 1739, and is buried beside her husband They had at least two daughters:
Lucy, who married the Rev. Thomas Hemsworth of Abbeville, vicar of Birr. They inherited the Boate estates in Tipperary;[7] however it appears that the lands were heavily encumbered by debts. In 1728 a Private Act of Parliament was passed vesting the Tipperary lands in trustees to be sold "for the payment of the late Judge Boate's debts".[8]
Mary, who married Godfrey Clayton (who died in 1745, when still only in his early 20s); she died in 1772 and is buried beside her husband, father and mother in All Saints' Church, Hillesden.[9]
Waters' case
In 1720 the Crown moved against Edward Waters, the printer of Swift's Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture. He was tried for seditious libel before a Court presided over by Boate and William Whitshed, the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Boate appears to have played a very minor role at the trial, as Whitshed, the senior judge, dominated the proceedings.[10] Whitsed's conduct of the trial was much criticised: on no less than nine occasions he refused to accept a verdict of not guilty, claiming that Walters and Swift were part of a Jacobite conspiracy. After eleven hours the jury finally brought in a guilty verdict.[11]
Swift's Elegy
Swift developed a deep hatred of Chief Justice Whitshed, with whom he clashed again over the Drapier Letters, and he did not forget or forgive Boate either. Shortly after Boate's death, he wrote a mocking satire, consisting largely of puns on the judge's name:[12]
godfrey, boate, 1673, 1722, irish, judge, mainly, remembered, incurring, enmity, jonathan, swift, celebrated, boate, death, with, mocking, quibbling, elegy, judge, boat, memorial, saints, church, hillesden, buckinghamshire, contents, biography, career, death, . Godfrey Boate 1673 1722 was an Irish judge he is mainly remembered now for incurring the enmity of Jonathan Swift who celebrated Boate s death with the mocking Quibbling Elegy on Judge Boat 1 Memorial to Godfrey Boate in All Saints Church Hillesden Buckinghamshire Contents 1 Biography 2 Career 3 Death and family 4 Waters case 5 Swift s Elegy 6 ReferencesBiography EditHe was born in County Tipperary the eldest son of Godfrey Boate senior There is some doubt about his year of birth his memorial which gives his age as 46 suggests that it was 1676 but it is usually given as 1673 His father was a clerk in the Court of Chancery Ireland but this position may have been a sinecure since the Boate family were substantial landowners in Tipperary These lands had been granted to Katherine or Caterina Menning widow of Gerard Boate 1604 1650 author of The Natural History of Ireland Gerard and Katherine were Godfrey s grandparents The Boate family originally called de Boot came to Ireland from Gorinchem in the Netherlands in the 1640s 2 Career EditGodfrey went to school in Dublin and attended the University of Dublin where he matriculated in 1692 3 He entered Gray s Inn the same year and was called to the Irish Bar After a brief period as Master in Chancery he became Prime Serjeant in 1716 The following year he became third justice of the Court of King s Bench Ireland 3 Francis Elrington Ball in his definitive study of the pre independence Irish judiciary thought that Boate was unqualified to be a judge an opinion with which Jonathan Swift who knew and loathed Boate would most certainly have agreed Sir Richard Levinge 1st Baronet Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas also had a very poor opinion of Boate as he did of almost all of his colleagues on the Bench 4 Death and family EditBoate died of dropsy in the summer of 1722 apparently while visiting his wife s relatives in England 3 He was buried in All Saints Church Hillesden Buckinghamshire 5 where his memorial still exists 6 He married Cary Denton eldest daughter of Alexander Denton of Hillesden Buckinghamshire and Hester Herman and sister of Sir Edmund Denton and the judge Alexander Denton She died in 1739 and is buried beside her husband They had at least two daughters Lucy who married the Rev Thomas Hemsworth of Abbeville vicar of Birr They inherited the Boate estates in Tipperary 7 however it appears that the lands were heavily encumbered by debts In 1728 a Private Act of Parliament was passed vesting the Tipperary lands in trustees to be sold for the payment of the late Judge Boate s debts 8 Mary who married Godfrey Clayton who died in 1745 when still only in his early 20s she died in 1772 and is buried beside her husband father and mother in All Saints Church Hillesden 9 Waters case EditIn 1720 the Crown moved against Edward Waters the printer of Swift s Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture He was tried for seditious libel before a Court presided over by Boate and William Whitshed the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland Boate appears to have played a very minor role at the trial as Whitshed the senior judge dominated the proceedings 10 Whitsed s conduct of the trial was much criticised on no less than nine occasions he refused to accept a verdict of not guilty claiming that Walters and Swift were part of a Jacobite conspiracy After eleven hours the jury finally brought in a guilty verdict 11 Swift s Elegy EditSwift developed a deep hatred of Chief Justice Whitshed with whom he clashed again over the Drapier Letters and he did not forget or forgive Boate either Shortly after Boate s death he wrote a mocking satire consisting largely of puns on the judge s name 12 To mournful ditties Clio change thy noteSince cruel fate hath sunk our Justice Boat Behold the awful Bench on which he satHe was as hard and ponderous wood as that Charon in him will ferry souls to HellA trade our Boat hath practiced here so well A Boat a judge Yes where s the blunder A wooden judge is no such wonder References Edit Sir Walter Scott Life of Jonathan Swift Vol 1 Edinburgh 1814 pp 281 2 Gilbert John Thomas 1886 Boate Gerard In Stephen Leslie ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 5 London Smith Elder amp Co a b c Ball F Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221 1921 John Murray London 1926 Vol 1 p 194 Ball p 93 Foster Rev A J Wanderings in Buckinghamshire p 23 Hillesden manor belonged to his wife s family the Dentons Burke Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland Henry Colburn London 1847 2 George II c 17 Private Act Foster p 23 Ball pp 96 7 Ball p 97 Scott p 282 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Godfrey Boate amp oldid 1104730708, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
