Sir William Aston (1613-1671) was an English-born barrister, politician and soldier, who fought with distinction in Ireland for King Charles I during the English Civil War. Although he made his peace with the Cromwellian regime after the King's defeat, he is believed to have remained a convinced Royalist at heart. He was rewarded for his loyalty to the Crown with a seat on the Irish High Court Bench after the Restoration. His eldest son was hanged for murder in 1686. His last direct male descendant, also named William Aston, was the de jure 6th Lord Aston of Forfar.

Sir Jerome Alexander (c.1585–1670) was an English-born barrister, judge and politician, who spent much of his career in Ireland, and became a substantial Irish landowner. He was a noted benefactor of Trinity College Dublin. As a judge, he was so ruthless in securing guilty verdicts in criminal cases, and in imposing the death penalty on the guilty party, that for many years after his death "to be Alexandered" was an Irish synonym for being hanged.