John Brereton

Sir John Brereton (1576-1629) was an English-born lawyer who held office in Irelandas Serjeant-at-law (Ireland).

He was born in Ashley, Cheshire, one of the eight sons of George Brereton of Ashley Halland Sybil Arderne, daughter of William Arderne of Timperley.The Breretonswere descended from Sir William Brereton, who was Earl Marshal ofIreland in the time of Henry VIII.John was baptisedat the parish church inBowdonon 20 June 1576.He attended Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, of which he was later to be a generous benefactor. He practiced as an attorney for some years and was then called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1609. He moved to Ireland and was admitted to the King's Inn in 1613.

He was appointed the IrishPrime Serjeantin 1617, with a knighthood, and served in that office until his death on 1 October 1629.

In his will he left a generous bequest to Sidney Sussex College, and divided the remainder of his estate between his wifeElizabeth and his brother Randal.Elizabeth was the widow of George Montgomery, Bishop of Meath: she was the daughter of Edward Brabazon, 1st Baron Ardee and his wife Mary Smythe, and sister of William Brabazon, 1st Earl of Meath. In 1631 she remarried Sir John Bramston, the Lord Chief Justice. She and Bramstonhad been in love whenthey were young, but her father had forbidden the marriage. Her Bramston stepchildren described herunflatteringly in her middle yearsassmall, fat. red-facedandhomely, but praised her as a good wife and a kindly stepmother. She died in 1647.