Robert Bowes (judge)
Sir Robert Bowes , PC (born around 1493 ; † February 28, 1555 at Berwick Castle ) was an English soldier and judge.
family
Bowes was born the second son and one of eleven children of Sir Ralph Bowes and his wife Margery Conyers. On his father's side, William FitzHugh, 4th Baron FitzHugh and William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby belonged to his ancestors. Bowes was married to Alice Metcalfe. He had several children with her, but they all died very young. With the death of his nephew George Bowes in 1545, he took over the management of the family.
Education and career
Bowes trained as a lawyer at Lincoln's Inn . There he was admitted to the bar on May 4, 1511. Bowes gained his first military experience in the Anglo-Scottish Wars . From 1523 he worked for Thomas Wolsey . His political career began with his appointment to the Council of the North . He was a member of the committee, temporarily as its vice-president, until his death in 1555. As a participant in the Pilgrimage of Grace , the crown became aware of him. In 1538 he was promoted to Knight Bachelor . From 1539 Bowes was elected several times to the English Parliament . There he was MP for Yorkshire (1539 and 1542), Newcastle upon Tyne (1545), Westmorland (1547) and Middlesex (1553). In addition to his political career, he continued to work in the military. So he served in 1542 under Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and accompanied him on his raid to Scotland . He was captured during the Battle of Haddon Rig , but set free again a little later. In 1545 he took over the post of Lord Warden of the Marches . Thanks to close contacts with the Scottish reformer John Knox , Bowes soon joined John Dudley . Thanks to this connection he was appointed Master of the Rolls in 1551 and was admitted to the Privy Council in the same year . After campaigning for Jane Gray as Queen of England in 1553 , he had to give up most of his offices, but was still consulted by the Crown because of his military knowledge. Bowes died on February 28, 1555 at Berwick Castle, where he was tasked with expanding the defense.
plant
During his tenure as Lord Warden of the Marches, Bowes was commissioned by Henry Gray, 1st Duke of Suffolk , to write a report on the state of the Anglo-Scottish border region. The report published under the title A Book of the State of the Frontiers and Marches betwixt England and Scotland is still the main source on the state of this region in the 16th century. It not only shows the topographical conditions. Bowes also deals extensively with the military organization. His legal education also allowed him to add legal considerations to border disputes to the report. A copy of the report is in the collection of the Bodleian Library today .
Literature and web links
- Christine M. Newman: Bowes, Sir Robert (1493? -1555) . In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, doi : 10.1093 / ref: odnb / 3058 ( oxforddnb.com [accessed May 22, 2014]).
- BOWES, Robert (by 1497-1555), of South Cowton, Yorks. and London. at History of Parliament Online (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 2, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 51.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| John Beaumont |
Master of the Rolls 1550-1552 |
Nicholas Hare |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bowes, Robert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English military man and judge |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1493 |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 28, 1555 |
| Place of death | Berwick Castle |