Adam's The Irish Library Wednesday 17th April 2019

67 www.adams.ie The Irish Library| 17th April 2019 86 A 17TH CENTURY LETTERS PATENT GRANTING ROBERT BOOTH ESQ. AS CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE KINGDOM OF IRELAND, A two sheet handwritten vellum document granting “Esq. Robert Booth” and describing the details of this patent, with the great seal Privy Seal of Charles II attached to the bottom of the document. € 1,000 - 1,500 Sir Robert Booth was born in 1621, to the wealthy Booth family of Salford, son to Robert Booth and Anne Mosley, daughter of the Oswald Mosley of Manchester. He was educated in Manchester and later St John’s College, Cambridge and was called to the bar English bar 1649. A year later, he moved to Ireland and was admitted to the King’s Inns in January 1657. %RRWK ZHQW RQ WR KDYH D VLJQLȴFDQWO\ VXFFHVVIXO FDUHHU LQ ΖUHODQG 2Q KLV DUULYDO KH EHFDPH DFTXDLQWHG ZLWK QXPHURXV LQȵXHQWLDO ȴJXUHV LQFOXGLQJ :LOOLDP 6WHHOH WKH /RUG &KDQFHOORU RI ΖUHODQG DQG WR KLV VXFFHVVRU 6LU 0DXULFH (XVWDFH ZKR WRRN D SDUWLFXODU OLNLQJ WR %RRWK $IWHU WKH UHVWRUDWLRQ RI WKH PRQDUFK\ DQG XQGHU WKH LQȵXHQFH RI (XVWDFH 5REHUW %RRWK ZDV DSSRLQWHG WKLUG -XVWLFH RI WKH common pleas on December 1st 1660. He was promoted to the Chief Justice in January 1670. At the height of the Popish Plot in 1679, the Chief Justiceship of the Kings Bench became vacant. While many judges at the time had sympathies towards the Roman Catholic religion, Booth as staunch protestant, was a clear choice for Charles II in the promotion to WKH .LQJV %HQFK +H ZDV DSSRLQWHG RQ WKH WK 0DUFK +RZHYHU GXH WR KLV LQFUHDVLQJO\ LOO KHDOWK %RRWK VX΍HUHG IURP JRXW amongst other ailments, he was often incapacitated and unable to carry out his duties. James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland had objected to the King’s choice, on the grounds that Booth was both too extreme in his religious views and WRR LQȴUP IRU WKH UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV RI WKH RɝFH %XWOHU ZDV FRUUHFW LQ KLV DVVHVVPHQW RI %RRWKȇV DLOLQJ KHDOWK DV KH GLHG OHVV WKDQ WZR years into role.