Robert Monson (by 1532 – 23 September 1583) was an English politician and judge. He was Member of Parliament for various constituencies from 1553 to 1572 and also became

Justice of the Common Pleas Justice of the Common Pleas was a puisne judicial position within the Court of Common Pleas (England), Court of Common Pleas of England and Wales, under the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Chief Justice. The Common Pleas was the primary court o ...

Life

He was born the third son of William Monson of South Carlton, Lincolnshire and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Tyrwhitt of Kettelby. He was educated at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

before entering

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

, on 23 January 1545 – 1546, and was called to the bar on 2 February 1549 – 1550. He entered politics in 1553 when elected Member of Parliament for Launceston, followed by election for West Looe, Cornwall (April 1554),

Newport, Cornwall Newport () is a suburb of the town of Launceston in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Originally a separate settlement, Newport is immediately north of the town from which it is separated by the River Kensey. Until the early nineteenth centu ...

(November, 1554 and 1555), Launceston again (1558), his home county town of Lincoln in 1563 and 1571 and finally Totnes, Devon in 1572. In 1572 he was made a Serjeant-at-law and appointed to the bench of Common Pleas. Monson was a member of a special commission, appointed 11 May 1575, for the examination of suspected anabaptists. Most of the heretics recanted, but two Dutchmen, John Peters, and Henry Turnwert, stood firm, and on 22 July were burned at West Smithfield. In December 1577, Monson gave an extrajudicial opinion in favour of the legality of punishing non-attendance at church by fine. For questioning the legality of the sentence passed on John Stubbs for his pamphlet against the French match he was committed to the Fleet in November 1579. He was released in the following February, and had leave to go down into Lincolnshire; nor did he ever resume his seat on the bench, though fines continue to be recorded as levied before him until the middle of Easter term, when he formally resigned. His successor, William Peryam, however, was not appointed until February 1580–81. Monson spent the rest of his days on his estate in Lincolnshire, where he died on 23 September 1583. He was buried in Lincoln Cathedral, his tomb being marked by a brass with a quaint Latin inscription.

Family

He married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Sir John Dyon of Tathwell, Lincolnshire; they had no children.

References

;Attribution 1583 deaths Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Totnes Justices of the common pleas Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall Serjeants-at-law (England) Alumni of the University of Cambridge Members of Lincoln's Inn Year of birth unknown Year of birth uncertain English MPs 1553 (Mary I) English MPs 1554 English MPs 1554–1555 English MPs 1555 English MPs 1558 English MPs 1563–1567 English MPs 1571 English MPs 1572–1583 People from Lincolnshire 16th-century English judges 16th-century English lawyers {{1563-England-MP-stub