Robert de Vere, 19th Earl of Oxford (b. after 23 August 1575 – 7 August 1632) was a British soldier, and the penultimate Earl of Oxford.

Life

Beatrice, Countess of Oxford by Anthony van Dyck

Robert was the son of Hugh de Vere (a great-grandson of

John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford, Lord Great Chamberlain KG PC (c. 1482 – 21 March 1540). was an English peer and courtier. Career John de Vere, born about 1482, was the son of John de Vere and Alice Kilrington (alias Colbroke), and the gr ...

) and Eleanor Walsh. He was the second cousin of

Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portuga ...

. When Henry died sometime between 2 and 9 June 1625, Robert emerged as the heir apparent to the earldom. Robert's claim was by his descent from the 15th Earl of Oxford, but his title was not immediately confirmed, although his right to the peerage was acknowledged by the

Lord Chief Justice Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

, Sir

Ranulph Crewe Sir Ranulph (or Ralulphe, Randolph, or Randall) Crew(e) (1558 – 3 January 1646) was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench. Early life and career Ranulph Crewe was the second son of John Crew of Nantwich, who is said to have ...

in his celebrated "Time hath his revolutions" judgment. He was considered to have an inadequate estate in England, and only after a long debate in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

in April 1626 did he eventually secure his title and right to attend Parliament. He subsequently returned to his home in the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

, where he had made a career for himself as a soldier in the Dutch army. He married Beatrice, or Bauck, daughter of the Dutch nobleman Sierck van Hemmema. In 1632, Robert was killed while taking part in the siege of Maastricht. His title passed to his five-year-old son Aubrey, who would, in turn, become the last in an almost 600-year line of de Vere earls of Oxford.

References

1575 births 1632 deaths 16th-century English nobility 17th-century English nobility Robert de Vere, 19th Earl

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 '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

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