Sir Robert Meredyth (1597 – 17 October 1668) was an Irish politician and lawyer who served as

Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland The Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland was the head of the Exchequer of Ireland and a member of the Dublin Castle administration under the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Kingdom of Ireland. In early times the title was sometimes given as ...

Family

Meredyth was the son of Bishop Richard Meredith and Sarah Bathow. In 1618 he married Anne, daughter of Sir William Ussher, clerk of the council in Ireland. His eldest son, William, was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

in 1660 and his third son was Sir Charles Meredyth. After Meredyth's father's death, his mother married

Adam Loftus, 1st Viscount Loftus Adam Loftus, 1st Viscount Loftus (c. 1568–1643), was Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1619 and from 1622 raised to the peerage of Ireland as Viscount Loftus of Ely, King's County. His uncle, another Adam Loftus, was both Lord Chancellor of Irela ...

Career

He was admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1611. 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 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fran ...

for several constituencies, including Boyle,

Augher Augher (from ga, Eochair meaning "edge/border") is a small village in south County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies just 6 miles to the County Monaghan Border and is 16 miles south of Dungannon. It is situated in the historic barony of Clog ...

and Athy.John O'Hart, ''The Irish and Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry when Cromwell Came to Ireland'' (J. Duffey ; M. H. Gill & son, 1892), p.46. In 1625 Meredyth was secretary to Loftus as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. In 1634, Meredyth was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland. On 6 September 1635 he was knighted by

Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, (13 April 1593 ( N.S.)12 May 1641), was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1 ...

. In July 1643 he was arrested alongside Loftus, Sir John Temple and Sir William Parsons for supporting

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

during the civil war; he was released in 1645. Meredyth retained the position of Chancellor throughout the British Interregnum and following the

Stuart Restoration The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to ...

until his death in 1668.

Reflist

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meredyth, Robert 1597 births 1668 deaths 17th-century Irish lawyers Chancellors of the Exchequer of Ireland Irish MPs 1634–1635 Irish MPs 1639–1649 Knights Bachelor Members of Lincoln's Inn Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Kildare constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Roscommon constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Tyrone constituencies

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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