Robert Digby (courtier) facts for kids

Sir Robert Digby (born 1574, died 1618) was an important English gentleman. He owned a large estate in a place called Coleshill in Warwickshire. He married a woman named Lettice FitzGerald. She was the main person who should have inherited land from a powerful Irish family, the Earls of Kildare. Because of this, Robert spent much of his life in court, trying to win back her family's lands. He worked in both England and Ireland.

Sir Robert Digby's Life

Early Life and Family

Robert Digby was the oldest son of George Digby and Abigail Heveningham. He studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he earned a degree. He then became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer, at the Middle Temple in 1595.

Around this time, he married Lettice FitzGerald. Her parents were Gerald FitzGerald, Lord Offaly, and Catherine Knollys. Robert and Lettice had seven sons and three daughters:

• Mabel Digby
• Robert Digby (died 1642)
• Essex Digby (died 1683), who became a Bishop
• George Digby
• Gerald Digby
• John Digby
• Simon Digby, who was a Member of Parliament (MP)
• Philip Digby
• Lettice Digby
• Abigail Digby, who died as a child.

Fighting for Land Rights

Lettice's father died in 1580, and her grandfather, the Earl of Kildare, died in 1585. Her grandfather had left all his property to his male relatives. Lettice and Robert believed that her grandmother, Mabel, had changed the will to benefit her own sons, who were Lettice's uncles.

After Lettice's last uncle, William FitzGerald, was lost at sea in 1599, Lettice claimed the title "Lady Offaly." She also tried to get back some of the Kildare family lands.

In 1599, Robert was knighted in Dublin by the Earl of Essex, who was the Queen's representative in Ireland and also Lettice's cousin.

Helping the Queen and King

Robert spent his time dealing with two main things. In Ireland, he was deeply involved in the court cases against the 14th Earl of Kildare to win Lettice's land claims. In Warwickshire, England, he became a justice of the peace in 1601. This meant he helped keep law and order in the local area.

His family had strong connections with the powerful Knollys family, and his marriage to Lettice (whose mother was a Knollys) helped him become a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in the same year. Before Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, Robert was one of her personal attendants.

Later, during the time of King James I, Robert helped catch some people involved in the Gunpowder Plot in November 1605. This was a famous plan to blow up the Parliament building.

The End of the Land Battle

The legal fight over the Kildare lands in Ireland continued for many years. King James I even offered to hear the case himself in 1610, but Lord Kildare said he couldn't afford to go to the English courts. Lord Kildare died in 1612.

By 1613, Robert Digby had become a member of the Privy Council of Ireland, a group of important advisors to the ruler. He also served as an MP for Athy. However, the land issue was still not solved when Robert died on May 24, 1618. The cost of the court cases had used up much of his money. In his will, he asked Lettice to provide for their children using money from her Irish lands.

Finally, in July 1620, a solution was found. Lettice was given the title Baroness Offaly for her lifetime. She also received the manor of Geashill and 30,000 acres of land for herself and her children. At the same time, her oldest son, Robert, was given the title Baron Digby of Geashill.

Amazing Gardens

Robert Digby had beautiful formal gardens at his home, Coleshill Manor. These gardens were uncovered by archaeologists in 2019 and 2020 when the HS2 railway was being built. A garden expert named Paul Stamper said they were amazing, as good as the famous gardens at Hampton Court or Kenilworth Castle.