Sir Robert Croke (c. 1609 – 8 February 1680) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

between 1640 and 1643. Croke was the son of Sir Henry Croke, of

Hampton Poyle Hampton Poyle is a village in the civil parish of Hampton Gay and Poyle, in the Cherwell (district), Cherwell district, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is the River Cherwell, Cherwell in valley, about northeast of Kidlington and about ...

, Oxfordshire and his wife Bridget Hawtrey, daughter of Sir William Hawtrey of

Chequers Chequers ( ) is the English country house, country house of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister of the United Kingdom. A 16th-century manor house in origin, it is near the village of Ellesborough in England, halfway betwee ...

.John Burke ''A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain''
/ref> He matriculated at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

on 31 October 1629 aged 18 and was called to the bar at

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1635.''Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Covert-Cutts'', Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 338-365. Date accessed: 24 February 2011
/ref> Chequers2

In April 1640, Croke was elected Member of Parliament for

Wendover Wendover is a town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road along t ...

in the

Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on 20 February 1640 and sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640. It was so called because of its short session of only three weeks. After 11 years of per ...

. He was re-elected MP for Wendover for the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

in November 1640 and sat until he was disabled from sitting on 15 November 1643. He supported the king and was knighted on 9 August 1641. He was created D.Med. at Oxford on 1 May 1644. Croke had residence at Chequers which came to him through his mother, and another residence at Hampton Poyle. He was given the sinecure of

Clerk of the Pipe The Clerk of the Pipe was a post in the Pipe Office of the English Exchequer and its successors. The incumbent was responsible for the pipe rolls on which the government income and expenditure was recorded as credits and debits. The ''Dialogus de ...

at the Exchequer for life in 1659 and made a bencher of

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

in 1660. Croke died at the age of 71. He had married Susannah Vanlore, daughter of Sir Peter Vanlore, 1st Baronet of Tilehurst, Berkshire His son

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

was also MP for Wendover but predeceased him. Chequers thereby passed to his daughter Mary, who had married John Thurbarne, sergeant-at-law and MP for

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

and in turn to their daughter, Joanna, the wife of

John Russell John Russell may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Russell (English painter) (1745–1806), English painter * John Russell (Australian painter) (1858–1930), Australian painter * John Russell (screenwriter) (1885–1956), author and screen ...

, a grandson of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Croke, Robert 1600s births 1680 deaths Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Members of the Inner Temple Place of birth missing Members of Gray's Inn English lawyers 17th-century English lawyers English MPs 1640 (April) English MPs 1640–1648