Nicholas Nugent

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Nicholas Nugent (c. 1525–1582) was an Anglo-Irish judge who was executed for treason by the government that had appointed him. Before his downfall he held several high offices, including Solicitor General for Ireland, Baron of the Irish Court of Exchequer, and Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. His punishment came after his nephew William Nugent took part in a rebellion, an involvement for which Nicholas was accused of aiding.

Nugent came from the Pale’s aristocracy. His father, Sir Christopher Nugent, died before his grandfather, and his mother, Marian St Lawrence, came from another noble family. Nicholas had an older brother, Richard, who died in 1559, leaving two nephews, Christopher and William. Nicholas married Janet Plunket, daughter of Sir John Plunket, and they had a son named Richard. Through his wardship of his stepdaughter Janet, he arranged for her to marry his nephew William, who later caused a scandal by abducting her.

He studied at Lincoln’s Inn from 1558, where he made enemies, including Sir Robert Dillon. After returning to Ireland he rose quickly: Solicitor-General in 1565, then a judge on the Court of Exchequer, and he was even considered for the Master of the Rolls. He faced various clashes and was suspended twice in 1577–78 due to disputes, but regained his position after submitting.

In 1580 he became Chief Justice on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor. However, his nephews’ loyalty to Elizabeth I was suspect, and William joined Baltinglass’s rebellion. The Crown, urged by Dillon, suspended Nugent and put him on trial for treason. The trial in Trim had the feel of martial law: only one witness testified against him, and Nugent defended himself vigorously, accusing Dillon of bribery. Nugent was found guilty and hanged on 13 April 1582.

Public opinion was uneasy; some believed Nugent innocent, while others thought the case was biased. The co-defendant Edward Cusack was pardoned, and Nugent’s family estates were later restored to his son. Nugent’s case remains a controversial example of politics influencing justice in Ireland.