Nicholas de Snyterby

Nicholas de Snyterby, or Snitterby (died after 1354) was a Law Officer and judge in Ireland in the fourteenth century, who held office as King's Serjeant, Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) and justice of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland).



He was born at Snitterby in Lincolnshire, England. The de Snyterby name is derived from the village of Snitterby; it was occasionally spelt de Sueterby. He was a close relative, possibly a nephew, of Thomas de Snyterby, who came to Ireland in an official capacity in 1285 and served on the Court of Common Pleas 1295–1307. Unlike Thomas, he was not a priest, being described in 1352 as Nicholas de Snyterby, layman, of the Archdiocese of Dublin.

Nicholas is first heard of as a Crown servant in Ireland in 1316 when he held the office of King's Serjeant, or "Serjeant pleader".

Nicholas was appointed second Baron of the Irish Court of Exchequer in 1337 and apparently settled permanently in Ireland the following year. He was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas in 1340 and sat in both Courts at once, possibly due to a shortage of judges. He was forced to contend for the office of Baron with William de Epworth, and was successful; Epworth was compensated with other offices, being appointed steward of the Crown lands and Seneschal of County Dublin. The office of royal steward turned out to be a mixed blessing as Epworth was soon accused of corruption and imprisoned, although he was eventually exonerated. Nicholas was superseded as Baron in 1343, He owned substantial property in Dublin, which passed to his daughter Joanna, who married John Bennet, Mayor of Dublin.