John Bathe (died c.1559) was an Irish barrister and judge. He was a member of a famous legal dynasty, andhad a distinguished career under the Tudors, holding office asSolicitor General for Ireland and Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas.
He was a native of County Meath, a member of the long-established Anglo-IrishBathe family whose main seat wasatAthcarne Castle.The family produced several distinguished judges and lawyers; his cousin James Bathe served as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer under four monarchs. The family had claimed the title Baron Louthin the fifteenth century, buttheir right to it was notrecognised by the EnglishCrown,which bestowed iton the Plunkett family.
He was at Lincoln's Inn in 1536, and was called to the Bar in 1539. He was in the service of the English Crown in Ireland by 1546, when he replaced Walter Cowley as Principal Solicitor for Ireland. In 1550, he became King's Serjeant and Solicitor General. In 1554 he became Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, and held office until 1559; it is unclear whether Queen Elizabeth I chose to replace the Chief Justice of her half-sister, predecessor, and rival Mary, or whether he died that year. We do know that he washighly thought of by the English Crown,being praised for "knowledge of the laws of England, diligence,discretion and loyalty."
He had at least two sons: hiselder sonwas Sir William Batheof Athcarne Castle(died 1597),who wasalso ajudge of theCourt of Common Pleas. On William's death Athcarne passed to his younger brother James, whose grandson, alsocalled James,was a leading member of Confederate Ireland. After the English Civil WarAthcarne was forfeited,but in 1665the younger James's son SirLuke Batherecovered it, as a reward for what were described as his family's sufferings in the cause of the English Crown, although they now held it, at a nominal rent,as tenants of the Crown. The Bathes remained at Athcarne until about 1700.
