Henry of Bath explained

Henry of Bath
Order1:4th
Office1:Lord Chief Justice of England
Term Start1:1249
Term End1:1251
Monarch1:Henry III
Chancellor1:Sir John Lexington (1249-1250)
William of Kilkenny (1250-1251)
(as Lord Keepers of the Great Seal)
Predecessor1:William of York
Successor1:Sir Gilbert of Seagrave
Order2:6th
Office2:Lord Chief Justice of England
Term Start2:1253
Term End2:1260
Monarch2:Henry III
Primeminister2:Hugh Bigod (1258-1260)
(as Chief Justiciar)
Chancellor2:William of Kilkenny (1253-1255)
(as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal)
Henry Wingham
Predecessor2:Sir Gilbert of Seagrave
Successor2:Sir William of Wilton
Order3:7th
Office3:Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Term Start3:1245
Term End3:1249
Monarch3:Henry III
Chancellor3:Silvester de Everdon (1245-1246)
John Maunsell (1246-1246, 1248-1249)
Sir John Lexington (1247-1248)
(as Lord Keepers of the Great Seal)
Predecessor3:Robert of Lexinton
Successor3:Roger of Thirkleby
Order4:9th
Office4:Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Term Start4:1256
Term End4:1258
Monarch4:Henry III
Primeminister4:Hugh Bigod (1258) (as Chief Justiciar)
Chancellor4:Henry Wingham
Predecessor4:Roger of Thirkleby
Successor4:Roger of Thirkleby
Prior Term4:1245-1249
Order5:24th
Office5:High Sheriff of Gloucestershire
Term Start5:1232
Term End5:1234
Monarch5:Henry III
Primeminister5:Stephen de Segrave (as Chief Justiciar)
Chancellor5:Ralph Neville
Predecessor5:William Putot
Successor5:William Talbot
Order6:31st
Office6:High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
Term Start6:1235
Term End6:1239
Alongside6:Peter de Maulay
Monarch6:Henry III
Chancellor6:Ralph Neville
Predecessor6:Stephen de Segne
William de Maravast
Successor6:William de Coleworth
Order7:5th
Office7:High Sheriff of Surrey#1229-1398High Sheriff of Sussex and Surrey
Term Start7:1235
Term End7:1236
Alongside7:Simon de Echingham
and
Joel de Sancto Germano
Monarch7:Henry III
Chancellor7:Ralph Neville
Predecessor7:Simon de Echingham
Joel de Sancto Germano
Successor7:John de Gatesden
Philip de Crofts
Order8:43rd
Office8:High Sheriff of Yorkshire
Term Start8:1242
Term End8:1246
Monarch8:Henry III
Chancellor8:Ralph Neville (1242-1244)
Silvester de Everdon (1244-1246) (as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal)
Predecessor8:Nicholas de Moels
Successor8:Adam de Neirford
Birth Date:Unknown
Death Date:ca. 1260
Nationality:English

Henry de Bada (or Henry de Bathonia; died November 1260) was an English judge and administrator.

Career

He began his career under his relative Hugh of Bath, who died in 1236, leaving his chattels to Henry. Henry started his administrative career as a bailiff for the Honour of Berkhamsted in 1221, succeeding Hugh as Under-Sheriff of Berkshire from 1228 to 1229. This is the last record of his career under Hugh; from then on he was entirely independent. From 1229 to 1232 he served as Under-Sheriff for Hampshire and as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire from 1232 to 1234, a time when the county was the main base for the Marcher Wars of 1233–34. He served as High Sheriff as an agent of Peter de Rivaux, and as such required a pardon after Peter's fall from grace in 1234, Peter and his close associates having been declared traitors.

Immediately after the pardon, however, he became High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, and remained in that position until 1240 except for a two-month period as both High Sheriff of Surrey and that of Sussex in 1236.[1] In 1238 he became a junior justice of the bench in Westminster, continuing to administer Northamptonshire through deputies. Between 1240 and 1241 he worked on the Eyre Circuit for William of York as the second most senior justice, holding an Eyre in Hampshire in 1241 in which he was the senior judge.

In 1241 he went on a mission to Ireland, and on his return served for two terms as a justice coram Rege (in the presence of the King) until 1242. After Henry III left for his trip to Gascony in 1242 he was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire, a position he held until 1248 (although it was administered by his deputies from 1245 onwards). In 1245 he became Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. From 1247 to 1249 he acted as the senior justice for an Eyre circuit, during which period the Court of Common Pleas did not sit. In 1249 he was again promoted, leaving his position of Chief Justice, and received a salary of over £100 a year. Between 1250 and 1251 he was senior justice for another Eyre circuit, at which point he was accused of deliberately perverting the course of justice, for which his judicial position was taken, he was stripped of his position as Keeper of Gloucester Castle and he was fined the huge amount of 2000 marks (£1333 6s 8d), part of which was still unpaid when he died.

Henry came back into royal favour in 1253, shortly before another of the king's journeys to Gascony, and was made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas yet again in 1256, serving until 1258. He died in November 1260.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1686?&docPos=7&backToResults=list=yes|group=yes|feature=yes|aor=3|orderField=alpha Oxford DNB:Bath, Henry of