William Sambach

Sir William Sambach (died 1653) was an English-born lawyer and politicianof the seventeenth century who spent much of his careerin Ireland, but was driven back to England by the political turmoil of the 1640s, and died there.

His surname is probably a variant on Sandbach. Since that family preserved a collection of his papers it is likely that he was one of the Sandbachsof Tarporley,Cheshire, later famous as the owners ofHafodunos Hall.

Little is known of his early career, but heprobably arrived in Irelandin 1633 with Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to whom he seems to have been personally close. He became Recorder of Carrickfergus andthen Second Serjeant in 1637. Unusually he was allowed to hold both offices at once, probablybecause his salary as Serjeant was inadequate.

In 1640 he was elected to the Irish House of Commons as member for Carrickfergus and in the same year became Solicitor General for Ireland. After the downfall and execution of Strafford, Sambach continued to defend his policies; during the comprehensive attack on Strafford's rule known as "the Queries", Sambach was one of the fewMPsto speak in Strafford's defence, and to denounce the Queries.Precisely when he stepped down as Solicitor General is unclear: in the confusion of the times the office simplyseems to have lapsed,and he was not replaced until 1657.

During the Irish Rebellion of 1641 he remained a committed Royalist, and by his own accountsuffered much damage to his property as a result. He lived at Balyna, near Moyvalley, County Kildare: in 1642 he petitioned the Crown for redress for the great loss and damage he had suffered., which he estimated at £3800.

He had returned to England by 1649, when he purchased an estate at Bretfortonin Worcestershire. He is heard ofacting as a justice of the peace in that county in 1651, which suggests that like many former Royalists, he had made his peace with the Cromwellianregime.He died in 1653.

He was married, although nothing seems to be known about his wife; hehadat least one daughter, who married John Moore of Croghan, County Offaly, and had five children,including

• one surviving son Thomas, who was thefather of John Moore, 1st Baron Moore, and grandfather of Charles Moore, 1st Earl of Charleville,
• two daughters,Margaret, who married Richard Woodfalland Jane, who married Geoffrey Lyons of Killeen, County Laois.