Robert Gardiner

Sir Robert Gardiner (1540 – 1620) was an English-born judge in Ireland who held the office of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland for eighteen years. In addition to his judicial duties, he was a trusted political adviser to both Elizabeth I and James I. He sat in the English House of Commons in the short-lived Addled Parliament of 1614.

Early career

He was the son of William Gardiner, a substantial yeoman farmer who held lands at Hartest and Shimpling in Suffolk, and his wife Alice, widow of a Mr Ling. Born in 1540, he determined on a career in the law, although the estate he inherited from his father, who died before 1568, was large enough to live on in comfort. He entered Lincoln's Inn in 1562 and was Reader of the Inn in 1585. He was called to the Bar in 1570. There is reason to think that his practice was not particularly large: Chief Justice Wray, in recommending him for promotion to the Irish Bench, admitted that he "was not so much occupied as diverse others of smaller learning". states that he had "a mandate to reform both courts and administration", but it does not seem that he had much success in this mission. His appointment was strongly endorsed by Sir Christopher Wray, his counterpart as English Lord Chief Justice, who described him as "learned, wise, of good discretion and courage". He was appointed one of the judicial commissioners to deal with the aftermath of the Desmond Rebellion in 1588: its proceedings caused a good deal of criticism on the grounds of bias, as virtually all claims were decided in the Crown's favour. During the Nine Years War he negotiated with the leader of the Rebellion, Hugh O'Neill in 1594 and 1596, leading to a serious quarrel with the Queen and his temporary disgrace. He served as Lord Justice of Ireland in 1597. He fought against Hugh O'Neill in 1598 and against the Spanish Army at Kinsale in 1601-2.

St Mary's Church, Woolpit. Gardiner was Lord of the Manor here.

Family He married firstly Anne Cordell (died 1587), daughter of Robert Cordell, brewer, a cousin of the prominent judge and politician Sir William Cordell. He married secondly Thomasine Barker, daughter of John Barker of Ipswich, and thirdly Mary (or Anne) Trelawney, daughter of John Trelawney of Menheniot, Cornwall and Anne Reskymer, and widow of John Spring of Lavenham. His three children by Anne all died young; most of his estate passed to a grandnephew, Gardiner Webb, who lived until 1674, having married a daughter of Sir Martin Stuteville of Dalham Hall. The residue was left to his sister Mary Snow. Through his third marriage he was the stepfather of the politician Sir William Spring (1588-1638), (whose son was made a baronet), to whom he left his choice of a horse. Robert seems to have treated William very much as though he were his own son, and raised him in his own strong Puritan beliefs.

Character Francis Bacon thought highly of Gardiner, urging one of his successors as Lord Chief Justice to follow the example of his "constancy and integrity". Bacon's high opinion of Gardiner was shared by many of his colleagues. The English Chief Justice Wray praised him as "wise, learned, discreet and courageous". Sir Henry Wallop called him the most constant man who was ever sent from England to govern Ireland. Lord Deputy FitzWilliam said that he was so "wise, temperate and useful" that his services to the Crown could not easily be spared. A eulogy on his death called him: "the favourite of his family, the glory of his friends".

In an age when a good deal of official corruption was tolerated, Gardiner had a reputation for honesty. He himself maintained that he had no interest in lining his pockets, being content with what his father had left him. However, he probably profited from his office to some extent, as he was able to purchase the manors of Elmswell and Woolpit, as well as lands in Norfolk.