James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough (c. 1552–1629) was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1597 and 1622. He was Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland and then in England, and was Lord High Treasurer from 1624 to 1628. On 31 December 1624, James I created him Baron Ley, of Ley in the County of Devon, and on 5 February 1626, Charles I created him Earl of Marlborough. Both titles became extinct upon the death of the 4th Earl of Marlborough in 1679.
James Ley was the youngest son of the soldier and landowner Henry Ley (died 1574), of Teffont Evias, Wiltshire, where he was born in about 1552.[1] His mother was Dyonisia de St. Mayne, or St. Maure, daughter of Walter St. Maure. He attended both Cambridge and Oxford Universities, graduating from Brasenose College, Oxford in 1574.[2] He then trained as a barrister, becoming a bencher of Lincoln's Inn and reader of Furnival's Inn.
Ley's older brother Matthew (c. 1545 – 1636) also sat as MP for Westbury.[3]
Public service
Ley was elected as Member of Parliament for Westbury in 1597. In 1603, he was appointed a judge on the Carmarthen circuit. That November he became a serjeant-at-law and in December James I knighted him: the King formed a high opinion of his abilities. He was elected MP for Westbury again in 1604, and then King James sent him to Dublin as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland. He also served on the Privy Council of Ireland, and was a Commissioner for the Great Seal of Ireland in 1605. He entered the King's Inns, which had been virtually in abeyance, in 1607, and did much to restore its status as a professional body. He was diligent in his official duties, and was the first judge to hold an assize in Wicklow. Amongst other things, he caused the English Book of Common Prayer to be translated into Irish and sought to enforce Protestant church attendance on the Irish Catholic nobility. As a result, he became highly unpopular, and a flood of complaints went back to England concerning the severity of his administration.
Ley was called back to England in 1608, ostensibly to brief the English Privy Council on the settlement of Ulster. He was then appointed to the lucrative post of Attorney-General of the Court of Wards. Further promotion came slowly. He was a member of Parliament for Westbury again in 1609–1614 and was elected MP for Bath in 1614. He was made a baronet in 1619. In 1621 he was made an English judge at Westminster when he became Lord Chief Justice. He was elected MP for Westbury again in 1621, but was required to preside in the House of Lords following the disgrace of Francis Bacon, though he was not made Lord Chancellor, despite reportedly offering £10,000 for the office. The same year he married his third wife Jane Boteler, niece of the prime royal favourite Buckingham.
Late in 1624, through the influence of Buckingham, Ley replaced Cranfield as Lord High Treasurer, also being sworn as a Privy Councillor. He was created Baron Ley, and then in 1626 Earl of Marlborough. His treasurership was hampered by Charles I's financial difficulties, and his own lack of experience in the world of finance. He retired from this in 1628, and from July until December of that year he was Lord President of the Council. However, he soon retired to Lincoln's Inn and died the following March. He was remembered as a poor statesman but an able and impartial judge.
Other achievements
Ley was a founder member of the Society of Antiquaries. None of his works on legal or antiquarian subjects were published in his lifetime, but his grandson James Ley, 3rd Earl of Marlborough arranged for the publication of his treatise on wardship in 1642, and a collection of law reports in 1659. Four of his papers to the Society of Antiquaries were published by Thomas Hearne in his Collection of Curious Discourses (1720).
Personal life
In 1578, Ley and his brother Matthew bought Brembridge manor, near Westbury in Wiltshire,[3] and he went on to acquire other landholdings around Westbury.[4] Matthew later acquired Heywood manor, north of Westbury, and Ley later rebuilt the house there[3] (which was in turn rebuilt in the 19th century).[5]
Ley married firstly Mary Pettie, daughter of John Pettie and Elizabeth Savage, of Stoke Talmage, Oxfordshire, by whom he had three sons and eight daughters, including:
He married secondly in 1618 Mary Bowyer, daughter of Thomas Pierson, and widow of Sir William Bowyer; she died only a few months later. He married thirdly Jane Boteler, daughter of John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler of Brantfield and his wife Elizabeth Villiers, half-sister of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, to which connection he owed his later advancement. She remarried William Ashburnham and died in 1672. The Earl's third marriage is said to have caused bitter family quarrels.
Notes
^Anthony Wood, Athenae Oxoniensis, vol. 2 (1692), p. 487 online
^"Ley, James (LY571J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ abcBindoff, S. T. "LEY, Matthew (c.1545-1636), of Westbury and Teffont Evias, Wilts". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
^"Westbury: Manors". A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 8. Victoria County History. University of London. 1965. pp. 148–163. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via British History Online.
Wilfrid Prest, "Ley, James, first early of Marlborough (1550–1629)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008, accessed 22 Jan 2009
LEY, James (1550-1629), of Westbury, Wilts. at History of Parliament
james, earl, marlborough, 1552, 1629, english, judge, politician, house, commons, various, times, between, 1597, 1622, lord, chief, justice, king, bench, ireland, then, england, lord, high, treasurer, from, 1624, 1628, december, 1624, james, created, baron, co. James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough c 1552 1629 was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1597 and 1622 He was Lord Chief Justice of the King s Bench in Ireland and then in England and was Lord High Treasurer from 1624 to 1628 On 31 December 1624 James I created him Baron Ley of Ley in the County of Devon and on 5 February 1626 Charles I created him Earl of Marlborough Both titles became extinct upon the death of the 4th Earl of Marlborough in 1679 The Right HonourableThe Earl of MarlboroughPCLord High TreasurerIn office 11 December 1624 15 July 1628MonarchsJames ICharles IPreceded byLionel Cranfield 1st Earl of MiddlesexSucceeded byRichard Weston 1st Earl of PortlandMember of Parliament for WestburyIn office 1621 1622Serving with Miles FleetwoodPreceded byMatthew LeyHenry LeySucceeded byWalter LongHenry MildmayMember of Parliament for BathIn office 1614 1621Serving with Nicolas HydePreceded byWilliam SharestonChristopher StoneSucceeded bySir Robert PhelipsSir Robert PyeMember of Parliament for WestburyIn office 1609 1614Serving with Matthew LeyPreceded byMatthew LeyAlexander ChockeSucceeded byMatthew LeyHenry LeyMember of Parliamentfor WestburyIn office 1604 1605Serving with Matthew LeyPreceded byMatthew LeyHenry JackmanSucceeded byMatthew LeyAlexander ChockeMember of Parliamentfor WestburyIn office 1597 1601Serving with Matthew LeyPreceded byWilliam JordynHenry FanshaweSucceeded byMatthew LeyHenry JackmanPersonal detailsBornc 1552Teffont Evias Wiltshire EnglandDied1629SpousesMary Pettie Mary Bowyer Jane BotelerChildrenHenry Ley 2nd Earl of MarlboroughLady Hester Pulter Contents 1 Early life 2 Public service 3 Other achievements 4 Personal life 5 Notes 6 ReferencesEarly life EditJames Ley was the youngest son of the soldier and landowner Henry Ley died 1574 of Teffont Evias Wiltshire where he was born in about 1552 1 His mother was Dyonisia de St Mayne or St Maure daughter of Walter St Maure He attended both Cambridge and Oxford Universities graduating from Brasenose College Oxford in 1574 2 He then trained as a barrister becoming a bencher of Lincoln s Inn and reader of Furnival s Inn Ley s older brother Matthew c 1545 1636 also sat as MP for Westbury 3 Public service EditLey was elected as Member of Parliament for Westbury in 1597 In 1603 he was appointed a judge on the Carmarthen circuit That November he became a serjeant at law and in December James I knighted him the King formed a high opinion of his abilities He was elected MP for Westbury again in 1604 and then King James sent him to Dublin as Lord Chief Justice of the King s Bench for Ireland He also served on the Privy Council of Ireland and was a Commissioner for the Great Seal of Ireland in 1605 He entered the King s Inns which had been virtually in abeyance in 1607 and did much to restore its status as a professional body He was diligent in his official duties and was the first judge to hold an assize in Wicklow Amongst other things he caused the English Book of Common Prayer to be translated into Irish and sought to enforce Protestant church attendance on the Irish Catholic nobility As a result he became highly unpopular and a flood of complaints went back to England concerning the severity of his administration Ley was called back to England in 1608 ostensibly to brief the English Privy Council on the settlement of Ulster He was then appointed to the lucrative post of Attorney General of the Court of Wards Further promotion came slowly He was a member of Parliament for Westbury again in 1609 1614 and was elected MP for Bath in 1614 He was made a baronet in 1619 In 1621 he was made an English judge at Westminster when he became Lord Chief Justice He was elected MP for Westbury again in 1621 but was required to preside in the House of Lords following the disgrace of Francis Bacon though he was not made Lord Chancellor despite reportedly offering 10 000 for the office The same year he married his third wife Jane Boteler niece of the prime royal favourite Buckingham Late in 1624 through the influence of Buckingham Ley replaced Cranfield as Lord High Treasurer also being sworn as a Privy Councillor He was created Baron Ley and then in 1626 Earl of Marlborough His treasurership was hampered by Charles I s financial difficulties and his own lack of experience in the world of finance He retired from this in 1628 and from July until December of that year he was Lord President of the Council However he soon retired to Lincoln s Inn and died the following March He was remembered as a poor statesman but an able and impartial judge Other achievements EditLey was a founder member of the Society of Antiquaries None of his works on legal or antiquarian subjects were published in his lifetime but his grandson James Ley 3rd Earl of Marlborough arranged for the publication of his treatise on wardship in 1642 and a collection of law reports in 1659 Four of his papers to the Society of Antiquaries were published by Thomas Hearne in his Collection of Curious Discourses 1720 Personal life EditIn 1578 Ley and his brother Matthew bought Brembridge manor near Westbury in Wiltshire 3 and he went on to acquire other landholdings around Westbury 4 Matthew later acquired Heywood manor north of Westbury and Ley later rebuilt the house there 3 which was in turn rebuilt in the 19th century 5 Ley married firstly Mary Pettie daughter of John Pettie and Elizabeth Savage of Stoke Talmage Oxfordshire by whom he had three sons and eight daughters including Henry Ley 2nd Earl of Marlborough William Ley 4th Earl of Marlborough Lady Hester Pulter the poet Anne Ley who married Sir Walter Long of Draycot Cerne MPHe married secondly in 1618 Mary Bowyer daughter of Thomas Pierson and widow of Sir William Bowyer she died only a few months later He married thirdly Jane Boteler daughter of John Boteler 1st Baron Boteler of Brantfield and his wife Elizabeth Villiers half sister of George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham to which connection he owed his later advancement She remarried William Ashburnham and died in 1672 The Earl s third marriage is said to have caused bitter family quarrels Notes Edit Anthony Wood Athenae Oxoniensis vol 2 1692 p 487 online Ley James LY571J A Cambridge Alumni Database University of Cambridge a b c Bindoff S T LEY Matthew c 1545 1636 of Westbury and Teffont Evias Wilts History of Parliament Online Retrieved 13 December 2020 Westbury Manors A History of the County of Wiltshire Volume 8 Victoria County History University of London 1965 pp 148 163 Retrieved 15 September 2022 via British History Online Historic England Heywood House 1284971 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 15 September 2022 References EditWilfrid Prest Ley James first early of Marlborough 1550 1629 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press Sept 2004 online edn Jan 2008 accessed 22 Jan 2009 LEY James 1550 1629 of Westbury Wilts at History of ParliamentParliament of EnglandPreceded byWilliam JordynHenry Fanshawe Member of Parliament for Westbury1597 1601 With Matthew Ley Succeeded byMatthew LeyHenry JackmanPreceded byMatthew LeyHenry Jackman Member of Parliament for Westbury1604 1605 With Matthew Ley Succeeded byMatthew LeyAlexander ChockePreceded byMatthew LeyAlexander Chocke Member of Parliament for Westbury1609 1614 With Matthew Ley Succeeded byMatthew LeyHenry LeyPreceded byWilliam SharestonChristopher Stone Member of Parliament for Bath1614 1621 With Nicholas Hyde Succeeded bySir Robert PhelipsSir Robert PyePreceded byMatthew LeyHenry Ley Member of Parliament for Westbury1621 1622 With Sir Miles Fleetwood Succeeded byWalter LongHenry MildmayLegal officesPreceded byRobert Gardiner Lord Chief Justice of Ireland1603 1608 Succeeded byHumphrey WinchPreceded bySir Henry Montagu Lord Chief Justice1621 1625 Succeeded byRanulph CrewePolitical officesPreceded byEarl of Middlesex Lord High Treasurer1624 1628 Succeeded byEarl of PortlandPreceded byThe Earl of Manchester Lord President of the Council1628 Succeeded byThe Viscount ConwayPeerage of EnglandNew creation Earl of Marlborough1st creation1626 1629 Succeeded byHenry LeyBaron Ley descended by acceleration 1624 1628Baronetage of EnglandNew creation Baronet of Westbury 1619 1629 Succeeded byHenry Ley Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Ley 1st Earl of Marlborough amp oldid 1131584449, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
