John de Rednesse

John de Rednesse (died after 1386) was an English-born judge who served four times as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.

He was the son of Stephen de Rednesse, whose family took their name from the village of Reedness in the then West Riding of Yorkshire. He is first heard of in 1327 when he received a royal pardon for killing one of his servants. He is unlikely to have been more than twenty at the time, since he was still alive almost sixty years later. Between 1335 and 1342 he served as Commissioner for the Peace in Yorkshire. However, Wirkeley was quickly replaced by Rednesse again and was ordered by King Edward III not to intermeddle with the office. In 1346, Rednesse was appointed to a commission to inquire into recent disturbances in Ulster. In 1359, we have further glimpses of his judicial work, when he was one of three judges empanelled to hear a case of novel disseisin between Thomas Norragh and John l'Enfaunt, and a similar case brought by Nicholas Longspy.

Like many officials of the time, Rednesse complained about non-payment of his salary, and in 1358 he felt strongly enough about the matter to issue a writ of certiorari. At the King's request, the Exchequer of Ireland inquired into the matter, and confirmed that Rednesse was indeed owed £94 in arrears, which was duly paid. In March 1361, by way of further compensation for the non-payment of his salary, he was given the manor of Termonfeckin, County Louth.

Rednesse was finally removed from office later the same year. He returned to England, where he spent his later years in his native Yorkshire. He served as a Commissioner for the Peace in 1374.