Richard Ryves

Sir Richard Ryves (1643–1693) was a seventeenth-century Irish judge who served for several years as Recorder of Dublin, and subsequently as Baron of the Exchequer.

Background

He was born in Dublin, eldest son of Charles Ryves, an official of the Court of Chancery (Ireland), and his wife Jane Ogden; he was a grandson of Sir William Ryves, judge of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland) 1636-1648. The Ryves family were originally from Dorset, but Richard prided himself on being "a true born Dubliner". He married Mary Savage of Dublin in 1673 and had issue. He lived first at St. Michael's Lane, then at Capel Street.

Career

Ryves graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. He was called to the English Bar and then in 1669 returned to practice law in Ireland. He enjoyed the patronage of the Duke of Ormonde, through whom he obtained the position of Recorder of Kilkenny in 1671. In 1680 the office of Recorder of Dublin became vacant; Ryves who prided himself on being a "town-born child" (i.e. a true Dubliner) applied for and obtained it. He was admitted to the Middle Temple ("called of grace") in 1669.[1]

In 1682 Sir Richard Stephens was dismissed from his office as Second Serjeant, on the grounds of being a nonconformist in religion. Ryves, who claimed to be the most senior King's counsel, expected to be appointed to the office and was bitterly disappointed to be passed over in favour of William Beckett.[2] He was soon compensated with the office of Third Serjeant. This office was a very recent one, which had been created especially for Sir John Lyndon, who had been similarly disappointed in his hopes of becoming either Second Serjeant or a High Court judge. Ryves was promoted to Second Serjeant later in 1683.[3] He combined the offices of serjeant and Recorder, despite the fact that the latter office had a notoriously heavy workload, which may have contributed to the breakdown of his health. He was replaced as Recorder by Garrett Dillon in 1685.

As a Whig and a Protestant, Ryves fell out of favour with the regime of the Roman Catholic King James II and was removed from his office of Serjeant in 1687. Following James's arrival in Ireland in 1689, Ryves was one of "the King's enemies" who were proscribed by the Jacobite Patriot Parliament.[4]

Ryves moved to England and supported the Revolution of 1688. Returning to Ireland in 1689, he was appointed one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal in 1690, and reappointed serjeant-at-law.[5] He declined an offer to resume the Recordership of Dublin, on the ground of the heavy workload and his increasing ill-health. The offices of Second and Third Serjeants were lucrative but not onerous: his successor as Third Serjeant, Alan Brodrick, admitted that he had almost no work to do in that role. He accepted the post of Baron of the Exchequer.

Death

Ryves suffered from ill-health all through his life, and by 1691 he appears to have been almost incapacitated. He accepted a seat on the Court of Exchequer in 1692, but died early the following year.[6]

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References
  1. Kenny, Colum King's Inns and the Kingdom of Ireland Dublin Irish Academic Press 1992 p.153
  2. Hart, A.R History of the King's Serjeant-at-law in Ireland Four Courts Press Dublin 2000 p.64
  3. Hart p.65
  4. Hart p.88
  5. Hart p.88
  6. Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926
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