John Fitzadam

He is notable for his very long tenure as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas; he held the office for twenty-three years, in the reigns of three English Kings.

[1] Some years after his death, he was accused of judicial misconduct, in that he had unduly favoured one party in a lawsuit, but it is impossible now to determine the truth of the matter.

[9] There are a number of records of him performing his judicial duties: these are mainly concerned with the issue of pardons or other acts of clemency, particularly in actions for recovery of debt.

[12] In 1412 he and Richard Sydgrave, Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland), sat as judges in a case of novel disseisin brought by Thomas Clone against William Dervoys and his wife Blanche.

[15] Many years later, in 1427, the Prior of Mullingar petitioned the Privy Council, claiming that there was a manifest error in the judgment, by which he had suffered grievous injury.

[15] The Council ordered Richard Ashwell, the Master of the Rolls in Ireland, to make a full inquiry into the matter, and to bring his report before the next session of the Irish Parliament, so that the injustice, if any, might be corrected.