Robert Jacobe

Sir Robert Jacob or Jacobe (1573-1618 ) was Solicitor General for Ireland between 1606 and 1618. He was a friend and close associate of Sir John Davies, the Attorney General for Ireland, who was the key figure in the Irish administration.

Family

He was born at Higher Bockhampton in Dorset, the second son of Robert Jacob and Anne Steldon. The Jacob family were descended from William Jacob, who was living in Tolpuddle in 1450. Robert valued his association with both towns and in applying for a coat of arms called himself Robert Jacob of Tolpuddle and Bockhampton.^[1]

About 1603 he married Mary Lynch, widow of David Targett; she was the daughter of William Lynch, a merchant of Southampton. Mary was a colourful character with a reputation for wit, who once publicly ridiculed the Spanish Ambassador, Count Gondomar. They has five children, Robert, Arthur, Francis, Mary and Anne. All five were still alive in 1617 when they are mentioned in William Lynch's will^[2] but only the younger Mary is definitely known to have been still living in 1623. She married Sir James Hamilton of Manor Elieston, a cousin of the Earl of Abercorn.^[3]

Solicitor General

Jacob was knighted in 1601, and in 1606 he was sent to Ireland as Solicitor General. He was admitted to the King's Inn in 1607 and given chambers there in 1612.^[4] Like most successful men at this time he found jobs for his family: his brother Hammett became Clerk of the Crown for Dublin. Robert sat in the Irish House of Commons as member for Carlow in the Parliament of 1613-1615. The 1613 election was noted for the number of disputed results and Jacob, who had the usual English settler's prejudice against the Old Irish, wrote that "Irish lawyers did more harm than the priests all combined in opposing the Crown's work" and complained that they were electing "seditious schismatics" as members of Parliament.^[5]

He seems to have been a highly competent lawyer, prosecuting regularly before the Court of Castle Chamber and giving detailed advice in 1611 on the legal aspects of the forfeiture of the O'Farrell lands in Longford.^[6] Like Davies however he was as much politician as lawyer and was deeply concerned about the future of English rule in Ireland. After the Flight of the Earls he warned in a famous phrase that " there are 2000 idle men that had no means but to feed on the gentlemen of this country..he was accounted the bravest man that comes attended with most of these followers ".^[7] He appears to have thought briefly that the killing of Cahir O'Doherty in 1608 would restore peace; yet the following year warned of the possible return of Hugh O'Neill and the consequences for Ulster :" there are great probabilities that all the people of that province would easily run into rebellion if Tyrone (O'Neill) should return, or if any munition or aid should be sent to them from foreign parts ".

In 1612 he wrote at length on the weakness of English rule, for which he proposed two main remedies : the restoration of a standing army, and the expulsion of the Irish chiefs from troublesome parts of the country, and their replacement by large numbers of settlers.^[8] The poorer Irish in his view could be left in peace, while loyal Irish chiefs would be required to surrender only a small part of their lands to the Crown ( thus increasing Crown revenue).

Jacob's ambition and ability suited him to play a leading part in Irish affairs if Davies was recalled, but in the event he died in 1618 while Davies was still in office. Mary quickly remarried the well- known poet Christopher Brooke, though she kept the title Lady Jacob. She had at least one more child and died in 1622.

Character

Jacob's attitude to the Irish people was stern, but in private he seems to have been a kindly enough man. In 1617 he wrote a warm and encouraging latter to Davies about Davies' son Jack, who was deaf and dumb, and generally thought to be mentally deficient:

" If your son Jack were now put into the hands of some skillful men, he might be brought to speak. For he is wonderfully mended in his understanding of late, for he understands anything that is spoken to him without making any signs , so as it is certain he hath his hearing".^[9]

References