Robert Weston facts for kids
Robert Weston (born around 1515 – died May 20, 1573) was an important English lawyer during the time of Queen Elizabeth. He held two very important jobs: he was the Dean of the Arches and also the Lord Chancellor of Ireland.
Robert Weston's Early Life and Education
Robert Weston was the seventh son of John Weston, a businessman from Lichfield, England. His mother was Cecilia Neville. Robert went to All Souls College, Oxford and became a Fellow in 1536. He studied Civil Law, which is a type of law based on Roman law, and earned his degrees in 1538 and 1556.
From 1546 to 1549, he was in charge of Broadgate Hall. At the same time, he taught civil law at the University. Robert was not a church leader, but he later got two important church jobs that paid well. This apparently made him feel a bit uneasy.
Weston also became a Member of Parliament. He represented Exeter in 1553 and Lichfield in 1558 and 1559.
Becoming Lord Chancellor of Ireland
In 1559, Robert Weston became the Dean of the Arches. This was a top legal job in the Church of England. He also helped make sure church leaders took the required oaths under the Act of Uniformity. He even advised the Queen on important church matters, like confirming Matthew Parker as the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was also part of a group that looked into complaints about ships being attacked at sea.
In 1566, the leader of Ireland, Sir Henry Sidney, suggested Robert Weston for the job of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. This role was like a chief judge and legal advisor to the Queen in Ireland. A year later, in June 1567, Queen Elizabeth agreed. She said Weston was a very learned and honest man. To help him earn more money, she also gave him the job of Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
Weston arrived in Dublin in August 1567 and officially started his new job. He worked very hard and was known for being honest. However, he often suffered from illnesses like gout and gallstones, which made his work difficult.
He was surprised by how lazy some of the Irish judges were. He asked Queen Elizabeth to replace them with English judges whenever possible. He was also shocked by the poverty and lack of education among many Protestant church leaders in Ireland. Even though he wasn't a clergyman, he became an important leader of the Church of Ireland for a few years. He worked with Adam Loftus, the Archbishop of Dublin, to remove people who secretly practiced Catholicism from the Dublin church. However, he did not believe in forcing the majority Roman Catholic population to change their religion.
Weston and Sir William Fitzwilliam became Lords Justices in October 1567. This meant they helped govern Ireland. Weston also became a member of the Privy Council of Ireland, which advised the Queen. He spoke to the Irish Parliament when it met in January 1568.
Besides being Dean of St Patrick's, he was also the Dean of Wells from 1570 until 1573. His health continued to get worse, and he passed away in 1573. He was buried in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, next to his first wife, Alice.
People at the time described Weston as a very good and honest man. They said he was wise in his advice, fair in his judgments, and generous. He was loyal to the Queen, a good friend, and kind to everyone. Before he died, he gave advice to his household and prayed.
Robert Weston's Family Life
Robert Weston married Alice Jenyngs first. She was from Barr, near Lichfield. They had one son, John, and three daughters. One of their daughters, Alice, is well-known. She first married Hugh Brady, who was the Bishop of Meath. They had many children. Later, she married Sir Geoffrey Fenton. With him, she had a daughter named Catherine, who married Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, a very important person.
Robert Weston later married Alice Bigges. She was from Isleworth and was a widow. They did not have any children together. Through his daughter Alice, Robert Weston was an ancestor of another Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Maziere Brady.
