Edmund Pelham

Who is Edmund Pelham?

Sir Edmund Pelham, a member of the distinguished Pelham family of Laughton, was an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, and was noteworthy as the first judge to hold assizes in Ulster.

He was the fifth son of Sir William Pelham of Laughton and his second wife Mary Sandys, daughter of William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne. Sir William Pelham, Lord Justice of Ireland was his brother.

His father died when he was a small child; little is recorded of him from then until 1563 when he was admitted to Gray's Inn, and he was called to the bar in 1574. He remained at Gray's Inn for 40 years, becoming reader and ancient of the Inn, but he does not seem to have advanced far in his legal career, although he was elected to the House of Commons as member for Hastings in 1597. The fact that his wife belonged to an openly Roman Catholic family may have hindered his career.

In 1601 he finally became serjeant: since he was now close to 70, this might reasonably have marked the high point of his career.