Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mayart, Samuel

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555465Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 37 — Mayart, Samuel1894Albert Frederick Pollard

MAYART, Sir SAMUEL (d. 1660?), Irish judge, was in 1624 a counsellor-at-law in Dublin. After the death, on 18 Oct. 1624, of Sir Gerald Lother or Lowther, second justice of the Irish common pleas (who must not be confused with Sir Gerard Lowther, chief justice in Ireland [see under Lowther, Sir Richard]), Mayart offered 300l. 'to him that shall procure him the said place modo et forma as the other held it.' He is described as 'a gentleman not to be excepted against, and of general good repute' (Cal. State Papers, Ireland, 1615-25, p. 546). He accordingly received a patent for the office dated 19 Jan. 1625 (Liber Mun. Hib. i. ii. 37). In this capacity he is frequently mentioned in the 'Journals of the Irish House of Lords' (1634-48 passim). He was knighted on 5 Nov. 1631 (Metcalfe, Book of Knights). In 1643 a pamphlet entitled 'A Declaration how and by what means the Laws and Statutes of England . . . came to be of force in Ireland,' and attributed without ground to Sir Richard Bolton, attracted the notice of the Irish Houses of Parliament. Mayart was employed as an intermediary between the lords and commons (Journal of the House of Lords, 1643, pp. 200-10), and soon after published an 'Answer to A Declaration, &c.,' printed in Harris's 'Hibernia,' pt. ii. 1778, from a manuscript in the possession of John Sterne, bishop of Clogher, subsequently presented to Trinity College, Dublin (Harris, Hibernia, vol. ii. Preface). A Colonel Mayart is mentioned by Gilbert as taking part against the Irish rebels, but this is more probably the Colonel John Mayart referred to in the 'Cal. State Papers' (Dom. Ser. 1651-2, p. 331, and 1652-3, p. 473). Samuel Mayart is said to have died in 1660.

[Authorities quoted; Smyth's Law Officers of Ireland, pp. 127, 219; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Gilbert's Irish Confederation, iii. 119, iv. 327, v. 123, and Hist. of Affairs in Ireland, ii. 462.]

A. F. P.