The Treason and Trial of Sir John Perrot

"But who was Sir John Perrot? He was a man of remarkable personality - 'a tempestuous and choleric character of Shakespearian proportions' - whose varied career touched on sixteenth-century society at many points. He had attended the courts of three Tudor monarchs, served in the armies of two and had been handsomely rewarded for his royal service by the last and perhaps greatest of them, Elizabeth I. He had been appointed the First Lord President of Munster and was later made Lord Deputy of Ireland. His successful Irish service earned for him a seat on Elizabeth's Privy Council and thus a place among the Elizabethan elite. A powerful and forthright figure, Perrot was loathed by his adversaries but admired by friends and allies. However, his sometimes reckless behaviour, blunt manner and plain speaking often left both friends and family exasperated. His greatest failing was in giving vent to his anger and frustration by publicly criticizing the Queen, whose inconsistent policy decisions and lack of support for him in Ireland often left him in a rage. These publicly uttered indiscretions would later come back to haunt him. For these reasons alone, the activities of Perrot's public and private life deserve comprehensive study.".