Sir Henry Hobart, 1st Baronet SL (c. 1560 – 29 December 1625), of Blickling Hall, was an English judge and politician. The son of Thomas Hobart and Audrey Hare, and Great grandson of Sir James Hobart of Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, who served as Attorney General during the reign of King Henry VII. Sir Henry would further this lineal occupation and was admitted to Lincoln's Inn on 10 August 1575, and was later called to the Bar in 1584, and subsequently became governor of Lincoln's Inn in 1591. Between 1588 and 1589, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for St Ives, for Great Yarmouth in 1597 and 1601, and for Norwich from 1604 to 1611. Hobart was Steward of Norwich in 1595, made Serjeant from 1603 to 1606, and later served as Attorney for the Court of Wards in 1605 and Attorney General for England and Wales between 1606 and 1613. From 1613 to 1625, his abilities were further recognized and he was elevated to Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.
Having been Lord Chancellor to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, he was also Chancellor and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal to Charles, Prince of Wales.
He was conferred the honor of Knighthood in 1603, and was made Baronet, of Intwood in the County of Norfolk on 11 May 1611.
Sir Henry Hobart, was respected for his knowledge and sophistication in matters of estate management. He successfully acquired a fair amount of Norfolk property, including the estates of Intwood in 1596 and Blickling in 1616, where he was buried on 4 January 1625.
On 21 April 1590, he married Dorothy Bell, the daughter of Sir Robert Bell, in Blickling, Norfolk. They had twelve sons including John Hobart and four daughters.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Edward Coke |
Attorney General for England and Wales 1606–1613 |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Bacon |
| Preceded by Sir Edward Coke |
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1613–1625 |
Succeeded by Sir Thomas Richardson |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| Preceded by (new creation) |
Baronet (of Intwood) 1611–1625 |
Succeeded by John Hobart |