John Rycardes, or Rychard (died 1527) was an English-born cleric and judge in sixteenth-century Ireland. He held the offices of

Master of the Rolls in Ireland The Master of the Rolls in Ireland was a senior judicial office in the Irish Chancery under English and British rule, and was equivalent to the Master of the Rolls in the English Chancery. Originally called the Keeper of the Rolls, he was respons ...

and

Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral The Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral is the senior cleric of the Protestant St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, elected by the chapter of the cathedral. The office was created in 1219 or 1220, by one of several charters granted to the cathedral by Ar ...

, Dublin.Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' John Murray London 1926 Vol.1 p.195 He was born in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, possibly at

Kirk Sandall Kirk Sandall is an outer suburb of Doncaster, located around north-east of the city centre in the English county of South Yorkshire. It is served by Kirk Sandall railway station. See also * Listed buildings in Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall ...

. He was a cousin of

William Rokeby William Rokeby (died 29 November 1521) was a leading statesman and cleric in early sixteenth-century Ireland, who held the offices of Bishop of Meath, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He is commemorated in the Rokeby Chapels ...

Archbishop of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin is an archepiscopal title which takes its name after Dublin, Ireland. Since the Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church and the other in the Church of Irelan ...

1515–1521. He probably came to Ireland in Rokeby's entourage in 1507 on the latter's appointment as

Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric. History Unti ...

. Rycardes was appointed rector of

Trim, County Meath Trim () is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is situated on the River Boyne and has a population of 9,194. The town is noted for Trim Castle – the largest Norman castle in Ireland. One of the two cathedrals of the United Dioceses of Meat ...

. The Archbishop made him

executor An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used. Overview An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...

of his

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

and bequeathed him a ring. Rycardes became Dean of St Patrick's in 1522 and Master of the Rolls in 1523. In the latter year he was given leave to reside at the English Court for ten years, probably as a precaution against his succumbing to

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...

or to the

sweating sickness Sweating sickness, also known as the sweats, English sweating sickness, English sweat or ''sudor anglicus'' in Latin, was a mysterious and contagious disease that struck England and later continental Europe in a series of epidemics beginning ...

, both of which were rampant in Dublin in the 1520s. His successor as Dean,

Robert Sutton Robert Sutton may refer to: Politicians *Robert Sutton (died 1414), MP for Lincoln * Robert Sutton (MP for Derby), see Derby * Robert Dudley alias Sutton (died 1539), MP *Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexinton (1594–1668), Member of Parliament for No ...

, had a similar fear of disease, and never actually visited Dublin, or set foot in his Cathedral during his time as Dean. Rycardes evidently did go to England but returned to Ireland in 1524; he was still alive at Christmas 1526, but died early the following year.Mason, William Monck ''History and Antiquities of the Collegiate and Cathedral Church of St. Patrick's near Dublin '' Privately published Dublin 1820 p.145

References

1527 deaths Clergy from Yorkshire Deans of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Year of birth unknown 16th-century English people Masters of the Rolls in Ireland {{Ireland-Anglican-clergy-stub