Richard Robartes ca.1580-1634

Richard ROBARTES, 1st Baron Robartes ca.1580-1634

Biographical Note

Son of John Roberts of Truro, Cornwall, a successful merchant. He continued in the family business and grew increasingly wealthy through inheritance, and the supply of wood and fuel for the tin mining industry; he was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1614, knighted in 1616, made a baronet in 1619 and created Baron Robartes in 1624. In 1620 he purchased the estate at Lanhydrock, Cornwall and began building the house which was completed by his son John and became the family seat for succeeding generations.

Books

Many of the Robartes books in the library at Lanhydrock are associated with Richard's son John or his wife Lucy, but some books with the inscriptions of earlier family members suggest that the library had begun its development earlier (e.g. a copy of a 1563 edition of Statutes at Lanhydrock, whose inscription "Richard Robarts", dated 1578, is probably this Richard's grandfather).

Sources

• Barker, N. Treasures from the libraries of National Trust country houses, New York, 1999, no 45.
• Keep, D. Works by Zurich reformers in the library at Lanhydrock, National Trust Yearbook 1976-7, 73-80.
• Purcell, M. The library at Lanhydrock, The Book Collector 54 (2005), 195-230.