Robert de Scardeburgh facts for kids

Robert de Scardeburgh (died after 1351) was an English judge who also held important legal jobs in Ireland. He was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and his last name came from his hometown.

Who Was Robert de Scardeburgh?

Robert de Scardeburgh was a judge who worked for the King in both England and Ireland. Judges in those days helped make sure laws were followed and disputes were settled fairly.

Early Life and Beginnings

Robert de Scardeburgh was born in a town called Scarborough, North Yorkshire. This is how he got his last name. People believe he might have been the nephew of another important person named Robert de Scarborough, who was a church leader in York from 1279 to 1290.

A Career in Law

Robert de Scardeburgh had a busy career in law, working in different important roles.

Working in England and Ireland

In 1331, he was sent to the Channel Islands (like Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark) to act as a commissioner of assize. This meant he helped oversee trials and legal matters there. In the same year, he became the Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. This was a very important job, like being the main judge for common legal cases in Ireland.

The next year, in 1332, he received a special reward for doing a good job in Ireland. He was also given some land in Malahide, which is north of Dublin city.

In 1334, Robert returned to England. He became a judge in the Court of King's Bench. This court dealt with serious cases that affected the King. Later, he moved to the Court of Common Pleas, which handled cases between ordinary people. He then went back to the King's Bench. In 1339, he also helped with a "commission of array" in Yorkshire, which involved organizing people for military service.

A Challenging Time in Ireland

In the late 1330s, the King of England was worried about the judges in Ireland. Some of them were not doing their jobs well. The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, a leader named Thomas Charlton, was told to remove any judges who were not fit for their roles. He was also told to replace them with judges from England.

Robert de Scardeburgh was chosen to go back to Ireland. He was meant to take over as Chief Justice of Common Pleas again. The judge he was supposed to replace, Simon Fitz-Richard, had a reputation for not being fair. However, Fitz-Richard managed to keep his job, so Robert de Scardeburgh did not go to Ireland at that time.

His Return to Ireland

Finally, in 1344, Simon Fitz-Richard left his position. Robert de Scardeburgh was able to return to Ireland. He became the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, which was the highest judicial position in the country. He was also in charge of the official seals for the courts he oversaw, and he received payments for these duties. He was still alive seven years later, after 1351.