Ralph Rokeby (died 1596) facts for kids
Ralph Rokeby (around 1527–1596) was an English lawyer and judge. He held important positions in Ireland during the time of Queen Elizabeth I.
Ralph was born in Mortham, Yorkshire. He was the second son of Thomas Rokeby and Jane Constable. His mother's father, Sir Robert Constable, was involved in a big protest called the Pilgrimage of Grace. Ralph's older brother, Christopher Rokeby, was a soldier. Ralph studied at the University of Cambridge and Lincoln's Inn, where he became a lawyer.
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Working in Ireland
Queen Elizabeth I first sent Ralph to Ireland in 1566. He returned to England in 1569, but it's not clear what he did during this first trip. Later in 1569, he went back to Ireland.
Chief Justice of Connacht
Ralph Rokeby became the first Chief Justice of Connacht. His main job was to bring English laws, known as "common law," to the area of Connacht in Ireland. He found this task difficult. He wrote to Lord Burghley, an important English official, that the people of Connacht "were unwilling to embrace justice."
Ralph believed that the English military needed to take control of the province quickly. He felt that if this didn't happen, England might have to give up on Ireland. Years later, after Ralph's death, the leader of Connacht was given special powers to use military force.
Return to England
Ralph Rokeby earned the respect of important people in Ireland, like Adam Loftus, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and William FitzWilliam, the Lord Deputy. Both of them thought he might become Lord Chancellor one day.
Around 1577, Ralph returned to England for good. He became a Master of Requests about 1586. This meant he helped people present their requests or complaints to the Queen.
A Judge in Important Trials
Ralph also worked on several special groups that looked into people accused of being disloyal to the Queen. He served as a judge in many important trials, including those of William Parry, Anthony Babington, Philip, Earl of Arundel, Sir John Perrot, and Dr. Lopez.
He was also a leader at Lincoln's Inn, his old law school. He was in charge of St Katherine's Hospital near the Tower of London. He also became a member of the Council of the North, a governing body in northern England.
Later Life and Legacy
Ralph Rokeby passed away on June 14, 1596. He was buried in St Andrew, Holborn church in London. He never married, even though he once planned to.
Even though he had several brothers and sisters, Ralph chose to leave his money and property to different charities. His estate was quite large. Lord Ellesmere, another important judge, managed Ralph's will and received a large sum of money from it.
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A man named Ralph Rokeby represented the area of Huntingdon in the English Parliament in 1571. Some people think this might have been the same Ralph Rokeby. However, there isn't strong proof. It could also have been his relative, Ralph Rokeby (died 1595), who was also a lawyer and a historian.
