Robert Dillon (died 1597) facts for kids

Sir Robert Dillon of Riverston (around 1540 – 1597) was an important Irish lawyer, judge, and politician. He came from a family with a long history of working in the legal system. He had a very successful career as a judge. However, he often faced accusations of doing things wrong or unfairly. One of the most serious accusations was that he had treated another judge, Nicholas Nugent, unfairly.

It's important not to confuse Sir Robert Dillon, the person this article is about, with his great-uncle, also named Sir Robert Dillon of Newtown (who lived from about 1500 to 1579). His great-uncle was also a Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, which was a very high legal position.

Early Life and Family

Robert Dillon was born around 1540, probably in Riverston, County Meath, Ireland. He was the oldest son of Thomas Dillon and Anne Luttrell. His father's family, the Dillons, had many people who worked as judges and lawyers. They were part of the "Old English" families, meaning they were descendants of the Normans who came to Ireland with Prince John in 1185.

His mother, Anne Luttrell, was the daughter of Sir Thomas Luttrell, who was also a Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. So, both sides of Robert's family were deeply involved in the law.

Robert Dillon's Career

Becoming a Lawyer

Robert Dillon studied law in London at a famous place called Lincoln's Inn in 1560. While he was there, he had a big argument with another Irish law student named Nicholas Nugent. This argument was so serious that the school leaders had to step in and make them promise to behave. This was the start of a long rivalry between them.

First Jobs in Law

In 1569, Robert got his first official job as a judge in Connacht, a province in Ireland. He worked under Ralph Rokeby, the first Chief Justice of Connacht. Robert did a good job and impressed his boss, Sir Edward Fitton.

When Sir Edward Fitton got a new job as Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, he helped Robert Dillon get appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland. This job was about managing the government's money. Other powerful people, like Adam Loftus, the Archbishop of Dublin, and Robert Weston, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, also supported Robert. They even suggested him for the job of Master of the Rolls in Ireland, partly because he strongly supported the Church of Ireland.

Facing Challenges

Because Robert was close to Sir Edward Fitton, he got caught up in a big disagreement between Fitton and Sir William FitzWilliam, who was the Lord Deputy of Ireland (the Queen's main representative). FitzWilliam even wanted Queen Elizabeth I to put Robert in prison! But the Queen sided with Robert, told FitzWilliam off, and made them sort out their differences. Later, Robert and FitzWilliam actually got along better.

Reaching a Top Position

Robert really wanted a senior judge position. After trying for years, he became the second justice of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) in 1577. He worked under his great-uncle, Sir Robert Dillon, who was the chief justice.

When his great-uncle died in 1580, Robert expected to get the top job. But it was given to his rival, Nicholas Nugent. However, Robert finally achieved his goal in 1581. Nicholas Nugent had to step down because his nephew, William Nugent, started a rebellion. Robert Dillon was then made Chief Justice and was knighted in November 1581.

Accusations and Reinstatement

Robert Dillon was not very popular, and his reputation was damaged when Nicholas Nugent was executed in 1582. This made the Queen and Lord Burghley (a very important advisor) suspicious of him.

Later, in 1589, Robert was accused of warning a future rebel leader, Sir Brian O'Rourke, not to come to Dublin. This led to accusations that Robert had encouraged O'Rourke's rebellion.

In 1591, William Nugent, who had been forgiven and was back in favor, accused Robert Dillon of misusing his power as a judge. A major accusation was that Robert had unfairly treated William's uncle, Nicholas Nugent (the judge who was his rival). There were also other accusations, like being unfair in his role as a commissioner for settling land in Connacht.

Robert was briefly put in Dublin Castle prison in August 1591 and was suspended from his job as a judge. People were appointed to investigate the accusations. In April 1593, he was officially dismissed as chief justice. However, in November of the same year, he was found innocent of all charges and got his job back! Robert had become very wealthy, and it's thought he used his money to give expensive gifts to powerful members of the Privy Council (the Queen's advisors). The Queen and Lord Burghley also decided that removing all senior Irish officials, even if they had done questionable things, would leave them without important public servants.

On September 23, 1594, Robert Dillon was officially restored as Chief Justice. He held this important position until he died in July 1597.

Robert Dillon died on July 27, 1597, in Riverston and was buried at Tara, County Meath.

Family Life

Robert Dillon was married twice.

First Marriage

His first wife was Eleanor Alan. They had one son and one daughter:

• Richard, who sadly died before his father and was not married.
• Mary, who married Patrick Segrave.

Second Marriage

Robert's second wife was Catherine Sarsfield. She was the daughter of Sir William Sarsfield, who had been the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Robert and Catherine had five sons and nine daughters. Their sons included:

• Bartholomew (died 1633), who married Catherine Fitton and became the owner of Bective Abbey.
• William
• Thomas
• Michael
• Christopher

Their eldest daughter was:

• Eleanor (died 1635), who married Richard Aylmer.

Catherine, Robert's second wife, died in 1615.