John Pocklington (MP)

John Pocklington (1658-1731) was an English politician, barrister and judge who later settled in Ireland. He was a leading political figure in Huntingdonshire for many years, before becoming a judge of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland). He suffered from chronic ill-health, and also endured the indignity of being imprisoned on the orders of the Irish House of Lords in 1719, during a major constitutional crisis. His descendants, who adopted the name Domvile, were major landowners in south County Dublin.

Early life

He was born in Nottingham, son of Oliver Pocklington, a doctor, who came originally from Brington, Cambridgeshire. He went to school in Peterborough, and matriculated from St John's College, Cambridge in 1674. He entered Middle Temple in 1677 and was called to the Bar in 1684.

Politician

He held office as second justice of the palatine court of Chester 1707-1713, but his main interest for many years was in politics: he had the reputation for being a staunch Whig, and as an accomplished canvasser in general elections. He sat in the English House of Commons as member for the borough of Huntingdon in 1695-1698, but failed to secure re-election in 1698. He returned to the Commons as knight of the shire for Huntingdonshire in 1708-1713.

Judge in Ireland

His career reached its low point in 1713, when he lost his seat in Parliament and his place on the Bench, but a new future was opened up for him in 1714. On the death of Queen Anne her Irish judges were dismissed en bloc for their adherence to the Tory party. Yet suitable replacements for judicial office were not easy to find in Ireland - "God help the country!" was the reaction to the appointment of one of the Irish-born judges then. The promotion of English Whig lawyers to the Irish Bench was the obvious alternative, and Pocklington agreed to serve: he was soon joined as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer by an old friend, Sir Jeffrey Gilbert. Both men became popular in Ireland and their first years in the country were described as "halcyon".

Sherlock v Annesley

His contentment with his life in Ireland was shattered when a seemingly routine lawsuit, Sherlock v Annesley, where two cousins disputed the right to the possession of certain lands in County Kildare, created a major crisis in Government: in Pocklington's own memorable phrase: "a flame burst forth and the country's last resentment fell upon us". By bringing separate appeals to the Irish and the British House of Lords, the litigants reopened an old dispute as to which House was the final court of appeal for Ireland. The two Houses issued contradictory orders to the Barons of the Irish Exchequer - Gilbert, Pocklington and Sir John St Leger - who chose to implement the British decree. They were summoned by the Irish House of Lords to explain their conduct: after an impassioned hearing they were committed to the custody of Black Rod for contempt. Pocklington was in custody for three months, which may have been among the causes of his later ill health. The British Parliament responded by passing the Declaratory Act of 1719, removing the Irish House of Lords' right to hear judicial appeals: this inflamed the public mood of anger and bitterness even further, and Pocklington and his colleagues were viciously insulted.

Later life

After regaining his freedom Pocklington might well have been expected to return to England, as Sir Jeffrey Gilbert soon did: but he was apparently happy to continue living in Ireland, where he had bought an estate near Celbridge. He lobbied unsuccessfully to become Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas in 1720. He made occasional visits to England, but his health was failing. He felt well enough to go on the Munster assize in 1724, but suffered a "paralytic seizure" at Limerick, and the following year he was confined to his house for several months. He was still alive in July 1731, when his name appears as one of the trustees of the King's Inns, but died shortly thereafter, and was buried in Finglas.

Family

He married Mary, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Hatton, 2nd Baronet, and his wife Bridget Goring. They had one son, Christopher, who became an Admiral in the Irish Navy. Christopher married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Domvile, and heiress of the Domvile baronets. Their descendants, who took the Domvile name, inherited the substantial Domvile estates in County Dublin, and were later made the Domvile baronets of the second creation.

References

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