Robert Southwell (died 1598) facts for kids
Sir Robert Southwell (1563–1598) was an important English politician from a place called Woodrising in Norfolk. He lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I.
Robert was the son of Sir Thomas Southwell and his second wife, Mary.
Sir Robert's Roles
Robert had several important jobs during his life:
- He was the High Sheriff of Norfolk from 1589 to 1590. A High Sheriff was a bit like a chief law enforcement officer for a county.
- He was also the Vice-Admiral of Norfolk from 1585 to 1598. This meant he helped manage naval affairs and ships in the Norfolk area.
- In 1597, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Guildford. An MP is someone chosen to represent an area in the country's main law-making body, the Parliament of England.
Fighting the Spanish Armada
One of Robert's most famous moments was in 1588. He was an admiral in the big battle against the Spanish Armada. This was when Spain sent a huge fleet of ships to try and invade England. Robert was in charge of a ship called the Elizabeth Jonas. His picture was even included in special tapestries (large woven pictures) that showed the Armada battle.
Later, in 1591, a group called the Privy Council (who advised the Queen) asked him to help settle a problem. A Scottish ship had crashed on the coast of Norfolk, and Robert, as Vice-Admiral, was asked to decide what should happen.
Robert Southwell passed away on 12 October 1598 at Woodrising. He was buried in the church there on 16 November.
His Family
On 27 April 1583, Robert married Elizabeth Howard. She was the oldest daughter of Charles Howard, who was a very important Earl. Elizabeth was also a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth.
Robert and Elizabeth had four sons and four daughters. Here are some of them:
- Thomas Southwell (1598-1643) was his son who inherited his father's estate.
- Elizabeth Southwell (1584-1631) was a maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth starting in 1600. She also served Anne of Denmark, who was the wife of King James I. Elizabeth wrote down what happened when Queen Elizabeth died. She was buried in Italy.
- Frances Southwell was a gentlewoman (a lady who helped) for Anne of Denmark. She married Sir Edward Rodney in 1614.
- Katherine Southwell also worked for Anne of Denmark as a gentlewoman. She married Greville Verney in 1618.
Robert also had a half-sister named Elizabeth Southwell. She was also a Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth.
