Lawrence Parsons

Sir Lawrence Parsons (died 1628) was an English-born barrister, judge and politician in seventeenth-century Ireland, who enjoyed a highly successful career, despite frequent accusations of corruption and neglect of official duty. His success owed much to the patronage of his uncle Sir Geoffrey Fenton, of his cousin by marriage Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, and of the prime Royal favourite, the Duke of Buckingham. He was the ancestor of the Earl of Rosse of the second creation. He rebuilt Birr Castle, which is still the Parsons family home.

Early career

He was born in Leicestershire, a younger son of James Parsons and Catherine Fenton, daughter of Henry Fenton of Sturton le Steeple and his wife Cicely Beaumont of Coleorton Hall, and sister of Sir Geoffrey Fenton and the navigator Edward Fenton.

With two of his brothers, of whom the more eminent was Sir William Parsons, 1st Baronet of Bellamont, he came to Ireland in the entourage of his uncle Sir Geoffrey, who was Secretary of State for Ireland from 1581 to 1603. Lawrence was appointed clerk to the Council of Munster in 1605, and escheator and receiver of the province of Munster, jointly with his brother William. They were also made jointly Surveyor General of the Irish Crown lands. Both became wealthy through their acquisition of Government offices and through the practice of "land-grabbing", which was common among English officials in Ireland at this time.

Lawrence resolved on a legal career and entered Gray's Inn in 1606. In 1624 he was assigned his own chamber in the Inns. It was Buckingham who had Adam Loftus, 1st Viscount Loftus, for many years Lord Chancellor of Ireland, dismissed as judge of the Irish Court of Admiralty (which had been joined with the office of Lord Chancellor) in 1619 and replaced by Parsons.

Residence

While he is mainly associated with Birr Castle, he lived for many years in Myrtle Grove, Youghal, the former home of Sir Walter Raleigh, which he leased from the Earl of Cork,

Family

By his wife, Anne Malham of Yorkshire, Fenton

-and at least two daughters:

Catherine, who married Sir William Cole, MP for County Fermanagh and Provost (civil) of Enniskillen, and was the mother of Michael Cole, ancestor of the Earl of Enniskillen, and Sir John Cole, 1st Baronet. Anne (died 1634), who married Sir Gerard Lowther who, like her father, was a former Attorney General for Munster. Lowther was also a future Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. Betham, Sir William Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536–1810 Published by E. Ponsonby Dublin 1897 Costello, Kevin The Court of Admiralty of Ireland 1575–1893 Four Courts Dublin 2011 Kenny, Colum King's Inns and the Kingdom of Ireland Irish Academic Press 1992