John de Grauntsete

John de Grauntsete (or John of Grantchester) (c.1270-c.1350) was an English born judge in fourteenth-century Ireland. We know far about him than about many of his colleagues, and from the surviving information we can form some idea of the life of an Irish judge at the time. He sat in turn in each of the Irish Courts of common law, and unusually, he is known to have appeared in Court as an advocate even after he became a judge.

Early career

Grantchester - view of the River Cam

He was a native of Grantchester in Cambridgeshire: his surname is an early form of the town's name (it appears as Grauntsethe in Domesday Book). He seems to have been in practice as a lawyer by 1300 and in 1302 was nominated by the Bishop of Ely^[1] to be his attorney.^[2]

He came to Dublin in about 1308 and married Alice de Morton, daughter and co-heiress of Geoffrey de Morton, Lord Mayor of Dublin and one of the city's wealthiest shipowners.^[3] He acquired a house abutting the city wall, close to old Dublin Bridge, now Father Mathew Bridge; he later completed two small towers, one at each end of the bridge, and began the building of the chapel. He also owned property in Castle Street and at Oxmantown. His property by the bridge included the Dublin "fish-house" for the upkeep of which he was responsible. He was given a licence to pierce the city wall, in order to provide his house with sufficient light.

He continued to practice law: he was legal adviser to the owner of Rathfarnham Castle in 1320. In 1326 he was made second Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) and the following year transferred to the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland).^[4]

Judge and advocate?

His career suffered a serious reverse due to a curious episode in 1329 when the former Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, Walter de Islip, was engaged in litigation with one William de London.^[5] Grauntsete appeared as advocate for de London: his conduct in appearing as an advocate after his appointment to the Bench was most unusual, if not unique in the history of the common law.^[6] He then proceeded to offend the judges by reading out letters of excommunication from the Papal Court. He was charged with attempting to subvert the Royal authority in favour of that of the Pope, deprived of office, imprisoned and fined.^[7] King Edward III however soon granted him a pardon and he was restored to office.

Later career

Edward III seems to have thought well of him and invited him to England twice to discuss Irish affairs. In 1331 he was transferred to the Court of King's Bench (Ireland). About that time he became custodian of Leixlip Castle, with the enjoyment of the manor and its fishery. Technically for a serving judge to acquire property was an offence, for which minor transgression John obtained another pardon.^[8]

He was a noted benefactor of the Priory of Holy Trinity, now Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin. After his wife's death about 1335 the Prior of Holy Trinity ordained that two canons of the Priory would pray for his health, and one after his death would pray for the souls of himself and his wife.^[9] Grauntsete obtained a licence to erect a chapel in St. Michan's Church, and also built St. Mary's Chapel on Dublin Bridge itself.^[10]

He was also a benefactor of the Order of the Hospitallers at Kilmainham Priory, and it was at Kilmainham that he spent his later years. In return for his benefactions to the Priory he was given a large suite of servants to attend to his needs, three horses and the right to dine at the Prior's table. ^[11]He was still alive in November 1348, when he appears to have been in England,^[12] possibly in connection with the licence to build St Mary's on the Bridge, which had been granted the previous month.

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