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255:, but, although he was a firm believer in the reality of witches, he could be sceptical about individual cases, and was quite shrewd in detecting impostors. He examined the boy John Smith and promptly declared him to be a fraud. The boy broke down and confessed that he had lied, and the five surviving convicts (one had already died) were released from prison.
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He apologised in his will to his wife for the "poor estate which I must leave her". She outlived him by three or four years. The inadequacy of his reward had been a constant theme of his for many years. Probably by the standards of
Jacobean judges, his fortune was not large: but his estates were not
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Winch, like many (though by no means all) transplanted
English officials disliked the Irish climate and complained of its effect on his health. He also grumbled about the lack of staff to support him and the "humiliating" fees he received (although he did receive an initial payment of £100 towards
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and died there three years later, Winch's punishment was mild enough: he was forbidden to leave London for a time, but allowed to continue to attend
Parliament. His disgrace was temporary, but thereafter he confined his speeches in the Commons to non-contentious matters.
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Partly, it is believed, because of her fear of death, and partly through a more rational concern that to name a successor would greatly diminish her own power: as she famously remarked "Men ever worship the rising
139:, a subject on which the Queen absolutely forbade any debate in Parliament, let alone any attempt to legislate for it. His offence was compounded by the fact that the meetings to discuss the Bill were held in his
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his expenses). From 1610 onwards he was lobbying for a speedy return to
England. Despite the reluctance of the Dublin Government to lose such a valued Crown servant, he was transferred to the
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said that Winch's qualities of "quickness, industry and dispatch" made him a model for other judges to emulate. In 1607 he was one of four senior judges who became members of the
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Despite the damage to his reputation caused by the witchcraft trial's fiasco, Winch remained on the bench until he died suddenly at
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as a man who was suitable for judicial appointment, by reason of his legal ability and integrity. For this purpose, he was made a
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in 1611. He returned to
Ireland on official business in 1613, and was regarded as an expert on Irish matters, sitting on the
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on the sole evidence of a young boy called John Smith, who claimed that they had possessed him. The judges, Winch and
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239:, found the boy to be a credible witness: while six of the accused were spared the death penalty in favour of a
61:, and his wife Catherine Harding. They had two surviving children, including Onslow, who married a sister of
33:. He had a distinguished career in both Ireland and England, but his reputation was seriously damaged by the
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Winch's illustrious reputation as a judge was dealt a serious blow by his conduct at the summer assizes in
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He received glowing reports as a judge, being praised as "understanding and painstaking".
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In 1606, despite his earlier conflict with the Crown, he was recommended to King
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from a stroke in
February 1625. An impressive memorial was raised to him in
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In the earlier part of his career in
Parliament, he was identified with the
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at
Lincoln's Inn. Compared to the fate of Wentworth, who was sent to the
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A Star
Chamber Court in Ireland- the Court of Castle Chamber 1571–1641
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83:, Speaker of the House of Commons and father-in-law of Humphrey Winch
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of 1616, which resulted in the hanging of several innocent women.
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visited
Leicester. The King had always shown a keen interest in
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in 1593, and served in each successive Parliament up to 1606.
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negligible. In addition to Everton, he had an estate at
112:. Through St John's influence, he was elected to the
195:). After two years he was promoted to the office of
197:Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland
127:faction in the Commons. He gave great offence to
278:St Mary's Church, Everton, where Winch is buried
29:(1555–1625) was an English-born politician and
358:History of Parliament Online – Humphrey Winche
16:Sixteenth century English member of Parliament
231:in 1616. Fifteen women had been charged with
8:
444:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
110:Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso
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71:Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn
49:, second son of John Winch (died 1598) of
131:in 1593 by supporting a proposal by Sir
53:. He married Cicely Onslow, daughter of
383:King's Inns and the Kingdom of Ireland
340:
487:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
187:and was regular in attendance at the
108:in 1596. He enjoyed the patronage of
69:. Later notable descendants included
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522:Chief Barons of the Irish Exchequer
398:Four Courts Press Dublin 2005 p.105
243:, nine were condemned to death and
421:Court and Times of James the First
170:Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer
14:
441:Dictionary of National Biography
423:, vol. 1 (London, 1848), p. 427.
385:Dublin Irish Academic Press 1992
104:in 1581 and became a bencher of
370:The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921
287:, Bedfordshire, and another at
67:Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st Baronet
59:Speaker of the House of Commons
21:Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st Baronet
512:Lords chief justice of Ireland
63:Sir John Burgoyne, 1st Baronet
19:For the later politician, see
1:
316:Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
247:. A month after the hangings
211:committees on Irish affairs.
205:English Court of Common Pleas
517:16th-century English lawyers
98:St John's College, Cambridge
419:& Folkestone Williams,
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269:St Mary's Church, Everton
191:(the Irish equivalent of
65:, and was the father of
435:"Winch, Humphrey"
372:John Murray London 1926
189:Court of Castle Chamber
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215:Leicester witch trials
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35:Leicester witch trials
507:English MPs 1604–1611
497:English MPs 1597–1598
472:Witchcraft in England
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467:People from Northill
141:barrister's chambers
368:Ball, F. Elrington
462:English barristers
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220:See main article:
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27:Sir Humphrey Winch
394:Crawford, Jon G.
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323:Succeeded by
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326:John Denham
456:Categories
335:References
320:1608–1611
253:witchcraft
233:witchcraft
116:as MP for
309:James Ley
289:Gamlingay
229:Leicester
166:knighted
51:Northill
158:James I
125:Puritan
118:Bedford
285:Potton
245:hanged
185:assize
100:; was
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