Robert Shapcote, JP (born 1621, died 1689) was an English lawyer from Devon and four times Member of Parliament for Tiverton in 1646–1649, 1654, 1656 and 1660. He sat in the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

for the borough of

Wicklow Wicklow ( ; , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; ) is the county town of County Wicklow in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the east of Ireland, south of Dublin. According to the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had ...

from 1661 to 1665 and was

Solicitor-General for Ireland The Solicitor-General for Ireland was the holder of an Kingdom of Ireland, Irish and then (from the Act of Union 1800) United Kingdom government office. The holder was a deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish ...

and twice briefly

Attorney-General for Ireland The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Kingdom of Ireland, Irish and then, from 1801 under the Acts of Union 1800, United Kingdom government office-holder. He was senior in rank to the Solicitor-General for Ireland: both advised the Crown on ...

. He fought in the

Parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

army in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Shapcote was the eldest son of Henry Shapcote of

Bradninch Bradninch is a small town, civil parish and Manorialism, manor in Devon, England, lying about south of Cullompton. Much of the surrounding farmland belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall. There is an Wards and electoral divisions in the United Kingd ...

and his first wife Wilmot Hill, and was baptised on 4 February 1621. He entered

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in 1638 and was called to the bar in 1645. From 1644 to 1646, he was a colonel in the Parliamentary army. He was elected Member of Parliament for Tiverton for the

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on 7 December 1646 but was excluded in 1649 under

Pride's Purge Pride's Purge is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented members of Parliament considered hostile to the New Model Army from entering the House of Commons of England. Despite defeat in the ...

.History of Parliament Online - Robert Shapcote
Accessed 9 January 2023. Shapcote became Recorder of Tiverton by 1647 and was also recorder of Bradninch and South Molton. He was J.P. for Devon from 1647 to 1649. In 1654, he was elected MP for Tiverton in the

First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the H ...

. He became commissioner for militia for Devon and commissioner for

oyer and terminer In English law, oyer and terminer (; a partial translation of the Anglo-French , which literally means 'to hear and to determine') was one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat. Apart from its Law French name, the commission was also ...

on the Western circuit in 1655. In 1656, he was re-elected MP for Tiverton for the

Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House of Commons. In its first sess ...

. Also in 1656, he became commissioner for security, commissioner for assessment for Devon, and commissioner for fraudulent debentures and

. He became commissioner for new buildings in London in 1657. In 1659, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to be re-elected MP for Tiverton in a double return. He became

in March 1659, was deprived of this position when the Rump Parliament was restored in May 1659, was restored to it when the secluded members were allowed in in February 1660 and vacated it again in May 1660. In April 1660, he was elected MP for Tiverton again for the Convention Parliament in which he was very active, being particularly concerned with Irish matters, and with the religious settlement. He opposed the unconditional restoration of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

hierarchy. remarking that "I am not against the Bishops, but their power". In 1661, Shapcote went back to Ireland to practice law. A tentative offer of a renewal of Government employment was politely refused. He stood for three constituencies in the 1661 Irish parliament, and was elected for the borough of

. He was highly regarded by the Cromwellians in Ireland, whereas Royalists denounced him as "a great fanatic" and the leader of "the seditious faction". There is no doubt that he had a following in the Commons, although the extent of his influence has been disputed. Captain Blood consulted him on the plan to attack

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...

in 1663, which Shapcote discouraged. However, he was arrested, and it was proposed to try him for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

as an example. The Law Officers advised that it would be very difficult to secure a conviction, and it was decided to simply leave him in prison for the time being. After a year's imprisonment, on the intercession of Sir Courtenay Pole, 2nd Baronet, who had married his cousin, he was pardoned and released, but was expelled from the Irish parliament. He continued with his legal practice in Ireland, but took no further part in politics.

Marriage and children

On 15 May 1646 Shapcote married Anne Walrond, a daughter of Henry II Walrond (1584–1650)Vivian, Heraldic Visitations of Devon, 1895, p.769 of Bradfield House,

Uffculme Uffculme (, ) is a village and civil parish located in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. Situated in the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, Blackdown Hills on the B3440, close to the M5 motorway and the Bristol–Exeter line, Bristol– ...

, Devon. He had a son who apparently died young and a daughter Urith, who married her cousin Francis but had no children.

Death

Shapcote died before 3 May 1689, but the exact date is unknown.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shapcote, Robert 1621 births Year of death missing Roundheads Members of the Parliament of England for Tiverton English MPs 1640–1648 English MPs 1654–1655 English MPs 1656–1658 English MPs 1660 English justices of the peace Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Wexford constituencies Irish MPs 1661–1666