Edward Saunders (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward Saunders was an English judge and Chief Justice of the Queen’s Bench
.
, by Margaret, daughter of Richard Cave. His younger brother was Laurence Saunders
, the martyr. He was educated at Cambridge University, and became a member of the Middle Temple
. He was successively member of parliament for Coventry
(1541), Lostwithiel (1547), and Saltash (1553). He was Lent Reader of his inn 1524-5, double Lent Reader 1532-3, and Autumn Reader 1539. He was called to the degree of serjeant-at-law
in Trinity term 1540, and became one of the king's Serjeants
on 11 February 1546-7, and was in the commission for the sale of church lands in the town of Northampton
.
Saunders instigated the mayor's refusal to obey the orders of the Duke of Northumberland
to proclaim Lady Jane Grey
, and advised him to proclaim Mary
instead. He was made justice of the common pleas
on 4 October 1553, and appears in several special commissions issued in 1553 and 1554 for the trial of Cranmer
, Lady Jane Grey
, Lords Guilford and Ambrose Dudley, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton
, Sir Peter Carew
, and others. On 13 February 1553-4 he was granted the office of one of the justices of common pleas
in the county palatine
of Lancaster. He was knighted by Philip
on 27 January 1554-5, two days before his brother Laurence
was arraigned for heresy. On 8 May 1555 he was made chief justice of the queen's bench
. In the same month he was appointed head of the special commission for the trial of Thomas Stafford (d. 1557) and others on the charge of seizing Scarborough Castle
. In 1557 the manors of Weston-under-Weatherley
(Warwickshire
) and Newbold (Northamptonshire) were granted to him and Francis Morgan, serjeant-at-law. Queen Elizabeth
, on her accession, renewed Saunders's patent for the chief-justiceship (18 November 1558) ; but on 22 January following he was removed to the lower position of chief baron of the exchequer
, possibly on account of a quarrel with Dr. Lewis, the judge of the Admiralty court
, on a question of jurisdiction. Saunders subsequently acted as a commissioner at the trial of Arthur Pole and Edmund Pole and others (February 1562-3), and of John Hall and Francis Rolston (May 1572) for treason.
, where there is a monument in the east end of the north aisle. Saunders's house in Whitefriars, London, abutting on the garden of Serjeant's Inn
, was in 1611 sold by his representatives to that society. He married, first, Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Englefield, judge of the court of common pleas, and widow of George Carew ; she died on 11 October 1563. Secondly, Agnes Hussey, who survived him. His only daughter (by his first wife) married Thomas, son of Francis Morgan, the co-grantee of the manors of Weston
and Newbold.
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
.
Early life and career
Saunders was the third son of Thomas Saunders of Sibertoft or of Harrington, NorthamptonshireHarrington, Northamptonshire
Harrington is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, administered by Kettering Borough and Northamptonshire County councils. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 154 people. The parish church of St. Peter and St...
, by Margaret, daughter of Richard Cave. His younger brother was Laurence Saunders
Laurence Saunders
Laurence Saunders England was an English Protestant martyr, whose story is recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs...
, the martyr. He was educated at Cambridge University, and became a member of the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. He was successively member of parliament for Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
(1541), Lostwithiel (1547), and Saltash (1553). He was Lent Reader of his inn 1524-5, double Lent Reader 1532-3, and Autumn Reader 1539. He was called to the degree of serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
in Trinity term 1540, and became one of the king's Serjeants
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
on 11 February 1546-7, and was in the commission for the sale of church lands in the town of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
.
Judicial career
As recorder of CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
Saunders instigated the mayor's refusal to obey the orders of the Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King's death...
to proclaim Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, and advised him to proclaim Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
instead. He was made justice of the common pleas
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
on 4 October 1553, and appears in several special commissions issued in 1553 and 1554 for the trial of Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
, Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, Lords Guilford and Ambrose Dudley, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton
Nicholas Throckmorton
Sir Nicholas Throckmorton was an English diplomat and politician, who was an ambassador to France and played a key role in the relationship between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.-Early years:...
, Sir Peter Carew
Peter Carew
Sir Peter Carew was an English adventurer, who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England and took part in the Tudor conquest of Ireland.He is to be distinguished from another Sir Peter Carew Sir Peter Carew (1514? – 27 November 1575) was an English adventurer, who served during the...
, and others. On 13 February 1553-4 he was granted the office of one of the justices of common pleas
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
in the county palatine
County palatine
A county palatine or palatinate is an area ruled by an hereditary nobleman possessing special authority and autonomy from the rest of a kingdom or empire. The name derives from the Latin adjective palatinus, "relating to the palace", from the noun palatium, "palace"...
of Lancaster. He was knighted by Philip
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
on 27 January 1554-5, two days before his brother Laurence
Laurence Saunders
Laurence Saunders England was an English Protestant martyr, whose story is recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs...
was arraigned for heresy. On 8 May 1555 he was made chief justice of the queen's bench
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
. In the same month he was appointed head of the special commission for the trial of Thomas Stafford (d. 1557) and others on the charge of seizing Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
. In 1557 the manors of Weston-under-Weatherley
Weston under Wetherley
Weston-Under-Wetherley, often known by locals as just "Weston" is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, UK. It is found on the B4453, 3 miles north east of the closest town, Royal Leamington Spa. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the village had a population of 454 living in 164...
(Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
) and Newbold (Northamptonshire) were granted to him and Francis Morgan, serjeant-at-law. Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, on her accession, renewed Saunders's patent for the chief-justiceship (18 November 1558) ; but on 22 January following he was removed to the lower position of chief baron of the exchequer
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" of the English Exchequer of pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the equity court and answered the bar i.e...
, possibly on account of a quarrel with Dr. Lewis, the judge of the Admiralty court
Admiralty court
Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries and offences.- Admiralty Courts in England and Wales :...
, on a question of jurisdiction. Saunders subsequently acted as a commissioner at the trial of Arthur Pole and Edmund Pole and others (February 1562-3), and of John Hall and Francis Rolston (May 1572) for treason.
Death and posterity
He died on 12 November 1576, and was buried in the church at Weston-under-WeatherleyWeston under Wetherley
Weston-Under-Wetherley, often known by locals as just "Weston" is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, UK. It is found on the B4453, 3 miles north east of the closest town, Royal Leamington Spa. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the village had a population of 454 living in 164...
, where there is a monument in the east end of the north aisle. Saunders's house in Whitefriars, London, abutting on the garden of Serjeant's Inn
Serjeant's Inn
Serjeant's Inn was one of the two inns of the Serjeants-at-Law in London. The Fleet Street inn dated from 1443 and the Chancery Lane inn dated from 1416. Both buildings were destroyed in the World War II 1941 bombing raids....
, was in 1611 sold by his representatives to that society. He married, first, Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Englefield, judge of the court of common pleas, and widow of George Carew ; she died on 11 October 1563. Secondly, Agnes Hussey, who survived him. His only daughter (by his first wife) married Thomas, son of Francis Morgan, the co-grantee of the manors of Weston
Weston under Wetherley
Weston-Under-Wetherley, often known by locals as just "Weston" is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, UK. It is found on the B4453, 3 miles north east of the closest town, Royal Leamington Spa. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the village had a population of 454 living in 164...
and Newbold.