Robert Robotham 16th century

Robert Robotham is the most referenced of our early possible ancestors.

My research suggests that he was the brother (or cousin) of Hugh Robotham of Thame - and Hugh is the one from which we are descended (see his section).

Their ancestors are discussed in "Derbyshire 1400s and 1500s"

Robert was born about 1520. He was chosen by Henry VIII to be a member of Prince Edward's household in 1543 as a groom and when the young Edward became King in 1547 Robert started an illustrious career, including Yeoman of the Robes (looking after the royal wardrobe) and worked very close to the king until Edward died in 1553 (he was only 9 when he became king, died at 15.

Robert was put in charge of Berry Pomeroy castle in Devon after Protector Somerset was ousted and was variously steward of St John's Wood ( a hunting wood north of London that is now part of central London), in charge of Customs in Newcastle and a member of several Parliaments. the parliamentary records are very useful here:

(click on the image below to see it clearly)



Robert married Grace Paget, daughter of Robert Paget, brother of the very important Royal Household figure of William Paget. They lived in Raskelf in Yorkshire and Warwicke Inne, just north of St Pauls in the City of London and worshipped at Christ Church Newgate, a massive church that is now reduced to a couple of walls near Merrill Lynch's office just West of St Paul's. The register of baptisms weddings and funerals for this church record the birth of their children and some of the subsequent weddings. The children all married well, as can be seen from the record of the family tree that accompanied the Herald's Visitation of Hertfordshire in 1643 - there is a lot more supportive information in other sections to expand this chart,




Robert died in 1571, having made his will in 1570. He was well off, and left most of his wealth to his son John, who then married his father's ward Margaret Grace (her father was a goldsmith in London) - they lived in the manor house of Newland Squillers in St Albans (but mor of this in John's own section!)

Robert's will is recorded, as you can see - I am fascinated by the bequests at the start of the will because these all show him to have been a Puritan and supporter of the Predestination version of the church that was prevalent in Geneva. Sampson was a leading minister in Elizabethan times, as was Berneher, whose daughter was mentioned in the will as Berneher's children were by many supporters. I am working in understanding the significance of the gold rings and inscriptions - broadly translated they mean vive ut vivas - live life to the fullest, mors lucrum - your reward will be in heaven.

remember to click to see clearly




Grace Robotham later remarried (her 3rd marriage) to Godfrey Fanshawe, the brother of the Queen's Remembrancer Thomas - responsible for making sure exchequer business ran smoothly. Godfrey Fanshawe was not as influential as his brother Robert and was a clerk in the Exchequer Office. He was appointed Master of Ilford Hospital in 1578.

Derbyshire 1400s and 1500s

There are clear signs that Derbyshire, and prior to the 14th Century maybe Shropshire are where the Robothams originated. Lancashire / Derbyshire / Shropshire changed boundaries during the period and that messes up the precision, but there are some specifics that offer pointers.

In 1458 John Robotham married into the Riber (Ribergh) family of Riber Hall near Matlock in Derbysire. He became the master of Riber Hall when he married Mary, and they had at least one daughter Margaret who subsequently married William Woolley, starting a long period of Woolley occupation at Riber Hall. We visited Riber Hall in 2008, it is now a high class hotel; a brief history is available on the hotel website and at the hotel. On the wall in the lounge where we had coffee is a framed copy of the Robotham family arms, which was a big surprise especially as they were not granted to Robert Robotham until 1560, 100 years after the Robotham period at Riber......

The area around Derbyshire, particularly Wirksworth, has a significant number of Robotham references. The most useful one is probably the following that links Hugh, Robert and James to Windlebotham and also introduces Robert Gee whose son Thomas is given a gold ring in Robert Robotham's will in 1571. The record is from the summary of the will of yet another Robert Robotham in Windlebotham in 1549, it references sons Alexander, Edmund and William, daughters Margaret and Maud and godchildren Robert Gee, Hugh Robotham and Robert Robotham. One of the appraisors was James Robotham. This could well be the family from which Robert and Hugh come, as well as James the book publisher? The link is strengthened by a record of Thomas Gee son of Robert Gee of Chapel in le Frith apprenticed to Roger Redferne haberdasher, attested before John Buck, warden October 12th 1st Edward vi (1547).

Other references around this time include 3 curates, Richard, Thomas and John all in the Derbyshire area at Wetton, Glossop and Heyfyeld. John is also recorded being ordained both priest and deacon on the same day by Bishop Downham in 1564. Heyfyeld - now Hayfield is perhaps particularly significant for the presence of many names - Gee, Ridgeway, Mellor in the local population whose names also appear in the 1571 will of Robert Robotham mentioned above. Heyfyeld is in a strategic location midway between Manchester and Sheffield on the slopes of Kinder Scout the highest point of the Peak District.

How this family ended up in London, Thame, Essex and Norfolk - if they indeed did, is still unclear. Some linkages may well come from connections with Sauvage who fought in Scotland