Robert Suckling facts for kids
Robert Suckling (1520–1589) was an important person from Norwich, England. He was a successful merchant and also a politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich in 1571 and again in 1586.
Life in Norwich
Robert Suckling was born in 1520. His father, Richard Suckling, was a baker in Norwich and also served as a city leader.
Robert grew up to become a mercer, which means he sold fine fabrics like silk. He was also a merchant adventurer. This meant he was a merchant who traded goods overseas, often taking risks to make a profit.
He became a freeman of Norwich in 1548. Being a freeman meant he had full rights as a citizen of the city. He then took on many important roles in the city government:
- He became an alderman in 1559. An alderman was a senior member of the city council.
- He served as sheriff of Norwich from 1564 to 1565. A sheriff was a local official, similar to a police chief or a judge.
- He was elected Mayor of Norwich twice, first from 1572 to 1573, and again from 1582 to 1583. The mayor was the head of the city government.
Besides his city roles, Robert Suckling was also chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich. This meant he represented the city in the English Parliament in 1571 and 1586.
In 1562, he bought and rebuilt a large house on St Andrews Street in Norwich. Part of this old house still exists today and is part of a cinema called Norwich Cinema City. He also owned other properties nearby, including land in Woodton.
Robert Suckling passed away in November 1589.
Family Life
Robert Suckling was married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Barwick, who died in 1569. They had ten children together: five sons and five daughters.
Two of his sons from his first marriage became quite famous:
- Edmund Suckling later became the Dean of Norwich in 1614. A Dean is a senior leader in a cathedral.
- John Suckling was knighted in 1616. He served as a Secretary of State for two kings, James I and Charles I.
Robert's second wife was Margaret Pettingale, who died in 1576. His third wife was Joan Cardinall, who lived longer than he did. He had another son, Charles, from his third marriage.
Robert Suckling's memorial, which is a monument to remember him, is located in St Andrew's Church, Norwich.
