RILEY, John
(b. 1646, London, d. 1691, London)

Portrait of George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys,

c. 1685
Oil on canvas, 74 x 62 cm
Private collection

George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys (1645-1689) was an English judge notorious for his cruelty and corruption. He presided over the "Bloody Assizes" of 1685 following the failure of the duke of Monmouth's rebellion and was in charge of executing the unpopular religious policy of the Roman Catholic king James II.