Robert Ware facts for kids
Robert Ware (born October 23, 1639 – died April 7, 1697) was a historian who also created fake historical documents. He used these made-up papers to support arguments for the Protestant side in religious discussions.
Who Was Robert Ware?
Robert Ware was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Sir James Ware, was also a historian. Robert's mother was Elizabeth Newman. We don't know much about how Robert was educated, but it's thought his father taught him in London.
Early Life and Family
When his father passed away in 1666, Robert inherited a large collection of old historical writings. He kept these papers for many years. In 1686, he sold them to Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon.
On December 24, 1666, Robert married Elizabeth. She was the daughter of his cousin, Sir Henry Piers, 1st Baronet. Robert Ware died in 1697, leaving behind one son.
His Forgeries and Impact
While Robert Ware had his father's collection of historical papers, he secretly added many made-up documents to them. These fake documents caused problems with Roman Catholic groups in Ireland. Because of this, Robert had to leave Ireland and live in England during the time of King James II of England.
Robert Ware's made-up documents tricked historians for a very long time. They especially misled people studying the Protestant Reformation. It wasn't until 1890 that a historian named Thomas Edward Bridgett finally showed that Ware's documents were fake. Even after that, it took until the 20th century for historians to fully understand how much these fake papers had changed what they thought about history.
