William Pelham (lord justice)

[2] He commanded the pioneers at Le Havre in November 1562 under Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick; and, despatched to the assistance of Admiral Coligny in February 1563, was present at the capture of Caen.

Subsequently, on his return to England, he was employed with Portinari and Jacopo Aconcio in inspecting and improving the fortifications of Berwick upon Tweed.

His proceeding gave considerable offence to Queen Elizabeth, reluctant to involve herself in a new and costly campaign; and Pelham, though pleading in justification Drury's intentions and the necessity of the proclamation, asked to be relieved of his office.

Terrified by the fate of Carrigafoyle, the garrison at Askeaton surrendered without a blow, and Desmond's last stronghold of Ballyloughan fell at the same time into Pelham's hands.

With his headquarters at Limerick, the lord justice garrisoned the Desmond district, his object being to confine the struggle to Kerry, and, with the assistance of the fleet, under William Wynter, to starve the rebels into submission.

From Castleisland, where they narrowly missed capturing the Earl of Desmond and Nicholas Sanders, they advanced along the valley of the River Maine, scouring the country as they went, to Dingle.

He was detained for some time about Athlone by bad weather, and it was not till 7 September that he formally resigned the sword of state to the deputy in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

There was some talk of making him President of Munster, and he accompanied Grey to Drogheda to inspect the fortifications; but being taken dangerously ill, he returned to Dublin in a wagon.

As for Pelham, he shared Leicester's prejudices against the Norrises, and at a drinking bout on 6 August at Count Hohenlohe's quarters at Geertruidenberg, he was the cause of a brawl which nearly cost Sir Edward Norris his life.

He was able to take part in the fight at Zutphen, and, according to Fulke Greville, it was the desire to emulate him that made Sir Philip Sidney lay aside his cuisses and so to receive the wound that caused his death.

Pelham's Letter Book, comprising his diary and official correspondence when lord justice of Ireland, is preserved among the Carew Manuscripts at Lambeth.

Pelham married, first, Eleanor (died 1574), daughter of Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland and his first wife Anne Manners.

Her father was Anthony Catesby of Whiston, Northamptonshire, and she was the widow of Sir William Dormer,[5] He and his second wife had a son, Peregrine, and a daughter, Ann.