John Hely

Who is John Hely?

Sir John Hely was an English-born judge in Ireland.

He was born in London, eldest son of James Hely. He entered Lincoln's Inn in 1670 and was called to the Bar in 1679.

In 1685 he made an advantageous marriage to Meliora Gorges, daughter of the prominent merchant Ferdinando Gorges of Eye Manor; they had at least five children. Meliora's sister Barbara married Thomas Coningsby, 1st Earl Coningsby, and Hely's rise was almost certainly due to the Coningsby connection: Coningsby's biographer suggests that Hely was sent to Ireland to strengthen Coningsby's power base in Dublin. He was appointed Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer in 1690 on the recommendation of Coningsby, who was one of the Lord Justices, arrived in Ireland the following year, joined the King's Inns and was knighted in 1692. He held the office of Commissioner of revenue appeals at the same time.

He lived at Stephen Street in Dublin and had a country house at Ballygall near Finglas. He was a member of the Dublin Philosophical Society.

In 1695 Hely became Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas and acted as Speaker of the Irish House of Lords in 1696-7.