Roger of Seaton (1230–1280) was a British justice. He studied

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, and by 1258 he was a qualified ''magister'', a rarity for British justices of the time; of the sixty or so justices who had served under

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...

only three held such a title, with ninety and eight respectively for those who had served under

John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Emp ...

. By 1260 he was using his knowledge of Canon law as the commissary-general for Walter of Kirkham, the

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

, as well as his immediate successor,

Robert Stitchill Robert Stitchill (sometimes Robert Stichel; died 1274) was a medieval Bishop of Durham in England. Life Stitchill probably came from the village of Stichill in Roxburghshire. His father was a priest, and may have been the William Scot who was ...

, serving as one of his chancellors and also his executor.Oxford DNB:Seaton, Roger of
/ref> In 1268 he switched from an ecclesiastical career to a judicial one, and was appointed as a justice with the

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

. He left the court in 1271 to lead an Eyre circuit that travelled through south-eastern and eastern

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, although the circuit was brought to an end in 1272 by the death of Henry III. After the premature end to the Eyre Roger was reappointed as a justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and became the Chief Justice of that court in 1274 after the death of

Gilbert of Preston Sir Gilbert of Preston (1209–1274) was a British justice. He was the son of Walter of Preston, who was High Sheriff of Northamptonshire between 1206 and 1208. Gilbert acted as a collector of aid in Northamptonshire between 1235 and 1236, and ...

, serving until 1278. During this period he served as an

Assize The courts of assize, or assizes (), were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes e ...

judge in 1273 and 1274 and the judge of an Eyre circuit in Middlesex in 1274 and again in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and in

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

in 1276. From late 1272 until October 1274 he served as

High Sheriff of Northamptonshire This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the respon ...

, and gave a speech at the 1275 Parliament explaining the king's need for money. Soon after his 1278 retirement Roger suffered a stroke, and in 1279 entered the

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

house in Thornton. He appointed several executors to pay his debtors and distribute his estate, including Oliver Sutton and Nicholas of Higham. He died soon after, and left his remaining possessions to his brother, Richard of Seaton.

References

{{authority control 1230 births 1280 deaths Chief Justices of the Common Pleas High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire Justices of the Common Pleas