Robert de Littlebury
Robert de Littlebury (died 1305) was an English judge whose last years were spent in Ireland.[1] He shared in the general downfall of senior English judges in 1290, but was pardoned soon afterwards.[1]
Foss says that nothing is known of his origins,[2] but Ball states that he was a close relative of Martin of Littlebury (died 1274), the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.[1]
Robert is first heard of as a Crown servant, and became a tax commissioner in 1279.[1] He became Keeper of the Rolls in the Common Pleas in 1285.[1]
In 1290 King Edward I instituted a purge of most of his senior judges, notably Ralph de Hengham, mostly on the grounds of corruption,[3] although in several cases their guilt or innocence is a matter of dispute.[3] Robert suffered the same disgrace as the rest of the judiciary, although the precise nature of his offence is unknown,[2] and was fined 1000 marks.[2] However, in 1291 he received a pardon for any trespass he had committed in the service of the Crown.[1]
In 1300 he was sent to Ireland as a judge. He became an itinerant justice in County Meath and County Louth . He died in 1305.[1]
Sources[edit]
- Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 London John Murray 1926
- Foss, Edward The English Judges London Longman Brown Green and Longmans 1851 Vol. III
- Riddell, W.R. (1926) Erring Judges of the Thirteenth Century Michigan Law Review Vol.24
- Prestwich, Michael Edward I University of California Press 1988