Robert Monson (by 1532 – 23 September 1583) was an English politician and judge. He was

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

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 of England and Wales, under the Chief Justice. The Common Pleas was the primary court of common law within England and Wales, dealing with "common" pleas ...

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 , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

before entering Lincoln's Inn, on 23 January 1545 – 1546, and was called to the bar on 2 February 1549 – 1550. He entered politics in 1553 when elected

for Launceston, followed by election for West Looe, Cornwall (April 1554),

Newport, Cornwall Newport ( kw, Porthnowyth) is a suburb of the town of Launceston, Cornwall, 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 Kens ...

(November, 1554 and 1555), Launceston again (1558), his home county town of

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Linco ...

in 1563 and 1571 and finally Totnes, Devon in 1572. In 1572 he was made a

Serjeant-at-law A Serjeant-at-Law (SL), commonly known simply as a Serjeant, was a member of an order of barristers at the English and Irish Bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law (''servientes ad legem''), or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are w ...

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 Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly ward of the City of London, England. Smithfield is home to a number of City institutions, such as St Barth ...

. 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 West Lindsey District 16th-century English judges 16th-century English lawyers {{1563-England-MP-stub