Richard Delahide

[2] Sir Walter de la Hyde (note the different spelling), living in 1415, seems to have been a Crown servant in good standing, to judge by the grants of property made to him.

The FitzGerald family had been almost all-powerful in Irish politics since the 1470s, but the ruling class by the 1520s had split into pro-Kildare (Geraldine) and anti-Kildare factions, the latter being headed by the Earl of Ormond.

[4] Though little is known of Richard's legal practice, it was almost certainly on Kildare's nomination that he was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1514; he held that office for 20 years, though he was threatened with removal in 1529, an early indication of the decline of the Geraldines power.

[2] Judging by his letters to Thomas Cromwell, Delahide seemed less concerned at the risk of being condemned to death for treason (he probably knew that there was little danger of this) than with his loss of public office.

He greatly resented the loss of the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer to Thomas Cusack but grudgingly conceded: I would have been contented that he should have enjoyed the same accordingly though it had rightfully been mine own.