Robert Sawyer (Attorney General)

Sir Robert Sawyer.

Sir Robert Sawyer, of Highclere (1633–1692) was the Attorney General for England and Wales (1681–1687) and, briefly, Speaker of the English House of Commons.

Robert was a younger son of Sir Edmund Sawyer, of Heywood Lodge, at White Waltham, in Berkshire, who was Auditor of the Exchequer. He attended Magdalene College, Cambridge,^[1] where he was a contemporary of Samuel Pepys and later became a benefactor of the library there. Upon leaving university, he became a barrister of the Inner Temple and took part in a number of well-known cases. He later became treasurer of Inner Temple.

Sawyer was elected MP for High Wycombe in 1673 and was knighted four years later.^[2] He was elected speaker in 1678, but had to resign in under a month because of health problems. Three years later he was made attorney-general. Sir Robert prosecuted members of the Rye House Plot and also Titus Oates. He returned to private practice, and scored a great triumph as defence counsel in the Trial of the Seven Bishops

Sawyer settled at Highclere in Hampshire where he built the house that preceded the present castle. He died on 30 July 1692 and was buried in the old church there.

He married Margaret Suckeley and their daughter Margaret Sawyer married Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke. Their descendants the Earls of Carnarvon eventually inherited Highclere. He also had a son George, and through George's daughter Catherine was ancestor of the Marquess of Anglesey.

References

↑ "Sawyer, Robert (SWR648R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
↑ History of Parliament Online - Sawyer Robert

External links

"Sawyer, Robert". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Speakers of the House of Commons

House of Commons
of England

14th century	Hungerford De la Mare Pickering Guildesborough Waldegrave Pickering Bussy Cheney Doreward Savage Redford Savage
15th century	Esturmy Tiptoft Chaucer Stourton Doreward Hungerford Chaucer Redman Beauchamp Flower Hunt Chaucer Baynard Flower Russell Walton Vernon Tyrell Alington, Sr. Tyrell Russell Hunt Bowes Tyrell Burley W. Tresham Burley W. Tresham Say Popham I W. Tresham Oldhall Thorpe Charlton Wenlock T. Tresham Green Strangeways Say Alington Jr. Wood Catesby Lovell Mordaunt Fitzwilliam Empson Drury Englefield
16th century	Dudley Englefield Sheffield Nevill More Audley Wingfield Rich Hare Moyle Baker Dyer Pollard Broke Higham Cordell Gargrave T. Williams Onslow Wray Bell Popham II Puckering Snagge Coke Yelverton
17th century	Croke Phelips R. Crewe Richardson T. Crewe H. Finch J. Finch Glanville Lenthall Pelham Lenthall Rous (Barebones Parliament) Lenthall Widdrington (2nd Protectorate Parliament) Chute, Long & Bampfield (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Lenthall Grimston Turnour Charlton Seymour Sawyer Seymour Gregory W. Williams Trevor Powle Trevor Foley Littleton
18th century	Harley Smith

House of Commons
of Great Britain

18th century	Smith R. Onslow Bromley Hanmer Compton A. Onslow Cust Norton Cornwall Grenville Addington

House of Commons
of the United Kingdom

19th century	Addington Mitford Abbot Manners-Sutton Abercromby Shaw-Lefevre Denison Brand Peel Gully
20th century	Lowther Whitley FitzRoy Brown Morrison Hylton-Foster King Lloyd Thomas Weatherill Boothroyd
21st century	Martin Bercow

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