John Temple

Sir John Temple (25 March 1632 – 10 March 1705) was an Irish politician and legal figure. He served as the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and as Attorney General for Ireland.

**Early Life and Education**

Temple was born in London, England, on 25 March 1632. His parents were Sir John Temple and Mary Hammond, daughter of Dr. John Hammond of Chertsey, Surrey. He was the brother of Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet, a diplomat and friend of Jonathan Swift. Temple attended Christ Church, Oxford, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1649. He was admitted to Lincoln's Inn on 4 May 1650. Later, he obtained a Master of Arts degree from Cambridge University in 1652 and was called to the bar in 1657.

**Career**

Prior to the Stuart Restoration in 1660, Temple was a representative at the Irish Convention. In July 1660, he was appointed Solicitor General for Ireland. In May 1661, he was elected to the Irish House of Commons as the member for Carlow. In September of that year, he began acting as Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, succeeding Sir Audley Mervyn who was in London at the time. Temple was knighted on 15 August 1663.

Following the death of King Charles II in 1685, Temple continued to serve as an official under King James II, a Roman Catholic, despite his Protestant faith. His tenure ended in 1689 during the Jacobite upheaval, which led to the exclusion of Protestant officeholders in Ireland. He subsequently fled to England, and his estates in Ireland were confiscated by the Patriot Parliament.

In 1691, after the Jacobite defeat and the Glorious Revolution, Temple returned to Ireland. He was granted approximately 12,000 acres in County Sligo, lands confiscated from the native Irish. He resumed his role as Attorney General for Ireland until May 1695. After retiring, he lived on his estates at East Sheen, south of London, where he died on 10 March 1705.

**Family**

Temple married Jane Yarner in 1663. Jane was the daughter of Sir Abraham Yarner, the Muster-master for Ireland, who died in 1677. They had numerous children, with at least seven reaching adulthood.

His eldest surviving son was Henry Temple (circa 1673–1757), who became the first Viscount Palmerston. Another son, John, married his cousin Elizabeth Temple but did not have children.

Temple's daughters included:

- Jane Martha (1672–1751): She married firstly John Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton, and secondly William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. She was the governess to the children of Queen Anne and had her portrait painted by Michael Dahl.

- Frances (died 1707): She married William Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton, and was the ancestress of poet Lord Byron through her daughter Lady Byron.

- Mary: Married Thomas Flower of Durrow, County Laois, and was the mother of William Flower, 1st Baron Castle Durrow.

- Catherine (died 1694): She married Charles Ward and later Charles King.

- Dorothy: Married Francis Colville, the heir of Sir Robert Colville of Newtownards; Francis predeceased his father around 1683.

**Legacy**

Sir John Temple was an ancestor of notable figures such as Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, and through female lineage, the poet Lord Byron.