George Treby (judge)

Sir George Treby JP (1643–1700), of Plympton, Devon, and of Fleet Street in the City of London, was Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and six times Member of Parliament for the Rotten Borough of Plympton Erle, Devon, largely controlled by him and his descendants until abolished by the Great Reform Act 1832.

Treby acted as chairman of the Committee of Secrecy dedicated to investigating the supposed Popish Plot revealed in November 1678 by Titus Oates.

"[4] In June 1679, proposals were discussed for Treby to be elected Speaker of the House of Commons, but were not acted upon as he suffered from extreme myopia and was unable to distinguish between different MPs.

[citation needed] In December 1680, he was one of the lawyers trying William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, the first peer to be arrested as part of the Popish Plot.

After his execution, Fitzharris's alleged confession was published by Francis Hawkins, in which it was claimed Treby and others had attempted to pressure him into giving false testimony.

[citation needed] He was an active member of the Green Ribbon Club, and suggested that James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth was the rightful king.

In part due to the City's call for a new Parliament, King Charles II and his lawyers attempted to dissolve its corporate charter by use of a writ of Quo warranto.

Partly in an attempt to regain the King's favour for the City, Treby made a loyal speech when presenting the new Sheriffs of London in September 1682, but the Quo warranto action continued.

In 1684, the Borough of Plympton had a similar case brought against it and informed by the example of the City of London, it surrendered, Treby losing his Recordership there as well.

He was seemingly defeated in the March 1690 election, again by his near neighbour Richard Strode, but the result was overturned and voided by the House of Commons and Treby won the second vote two weeks later.

Sir George Treby (1643–1700), engraving dated 1700 by Robert White (1645–1703). National Portrait Gallery , London, NPG 638
Arms of Treby: Sable, a lion rampant argent in chief three bezants
Plympton Borough Guildhall , built in 1688 at the joint expense of Sir George I Treby and Richard Strode (1638–1707) of Newnham , MP for Plympton Erle [ 7 ]
Arms of Sir George Treby (d. 1700) with crest: A demi-lion rampant . 1688 stone tablet affixed to facade of Plympton Guildhall, which building, together with Richard Stroud of Newnham, MP, he donated to the borough [ 8 ]
Plympton House, Plympton St Maurice, south front. Building commenced by Sir George Treby (d.1700) but unfinished at his death