Sir Robert ThorpeKSJP (died 29 June 1372) was a British justice. He was the son of another Sir Robert Thorpe, and is occasionally confused with another Robert Thorpe who was second master ofPembroke College, Cambridge at around the same time. The Thorpe family produced many prominent lawyers, includingWilliam de Thorpe,Chief Justice of the King's Bench, who may have been influential in guiding Robert towards a judicial career. In 1339 he was made aSerjeant-at-law, and between 1345 and 1356 served as aKing's Serjeant. He served as aJustice of the Peace inCambridgeshire,Huntingdonshire,Norfolk,Suffolk,Bedfordshire andBuckinghamshire, and was also involved in Assize, Gaol delivery andOyer and terminer. On 27 June 1356 he was appointed asChief Justice of the Common Pleas andknighted, and on 1 October he was awarded a grant of £40 to support his new position (£33,784 in 2023[1]). He was a member of the councils of boththe Black Prince andJohn of Gaunt, and was appointed a Trier of Petitions at every Parliament between 1362 and 1371.
In 1368 he took part in the trial of the Steward of the King's Household, Sir John de la Lee, and in 1371 he was part of a commission inquiring into theembezzlement of money by Sir William Latimer. An anti-clerical movement in 1371 forced the King to dismiss theLord Chancellor, treasurer, and keeper of the privy seal and replace them with laymen; as a result, Thorpe was appointed as Chancellor to replaceWilliam of Wykeham, a position he took up on 14 April. He held the position for only a year until his death on 29 June 1372.
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| Preceded by | Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1356–1371 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Lord Chancellor 1371–1372 | Succeeded by |