Robert Keilway facts for kids
Robert Keilway (born 1497, died 1581) was an important English politician and official who worked for the royal court. He lived in a place called Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire.
Robert was the son of another man named Robert Keilway from Salisbury. He went to Oxford University and also studied law at the Inner Temple.
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Robert Keilway's Career
Robert Keilway had a successful career in government and law.
Working for the Royal Court
In 1546, he became the Surveyor of the Court of Wards and Liveries. This court managed the property and money of young people who had inherited land but were too young to look after it themselves.
He also became the Custos Rotulorum of Berkshire in 1549. This was a very important job, like being the chief justice of the peace for a county.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Robert Keilway was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) several times. An MP is a person elected to represent an area in the country's main law-making body.
- He was an MP for Bristol in 1545 and 1547.
- He was also an MP for Steyning in 1559.
Legal Advisor
Robert Keilway was a trusted legal advisor to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. This duke was a very powerful person who helped rule England for a time. In 1552, Robert Keilway became a serjeant-at-law, which was a high rank for a lawyer in England.
Robert Keilway's Family Life
Robert Keilway married Cecily Bulstrode. She was the daughter of Edward Bulstrode. Cecily had been married before to Sir Alexander Unton. This meant Robert Keilway became the stepfather to Sir Edward Unton.
Robert and Cecily had a daughter named Anne Keilway.
- Anne was born around 1554 and passed away in 1620.
- She married John Harington, 1st Baron Harington of Exton.
Robert Keilway's Monument
Robert Keilway passed away in 1581 when he was 84 years old. His daughter Anne and her husband, John Harington, built a beautiful monument for him. This monument is still in Exton Church today.
The monument has a special message carved into it. It says that Robert Keilway was a very talented, smart, and good person. It also mentions that he loved a quiet life and was a Christian.
The message also talks about his daughter Anne, who was his only child. It says that John Harington was like a son to Robert. Robert also had two grandchildren through Anne and John: a grandson named Kelwey, who sadly died very young, and a granddaughter named Lucy, who lived a long life. The monument was built to remember Robert and his grandson Kelwey, and it was also planned as a burial place for Anne and John later on.
