Robert le Poer

Robert le Poer (died 1344) was an Irish judge and Crown official who held the offices of Lord High Treasurer of Ireland and Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.

Francis Elrington Ball, in his definitive study of the pre-1921 Irish judiciary, says nothing of Robert's ancestry. Earlier sources state that he was a younger son of Arnold le Poer, Seneschal of Kilkenny (died 1328). Arnold was one of the commanders of the army of Edward II which defeated the invasion of Ireland by Edward Bruce, but his career was ruined by the Kilkenny WitchcraftTrials. His support for the alleged leader of the local coven of witches, his sister-in-law Alice Kyteler gained him the enmity of Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory. In 1328 Arnold was arrested on charges of heresy and died in Dublin Castle while awaiting trial.

There seems no reason to doubt this account of Robert's parentage, although it may seem surprising the if he was Arnold's son, his career was not damaged by Arnold's downfall- indeed Arnold's arrest coincided roughly with Robert's appointment as Treasurer.

Robert as a young man was in the service of John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings and went with him to Gascony in 1307. The connection with the Hastings family continued, and in 1322 he is stated to have been their bailiff in Ireland. He became parish priest of Lutterworth, Leicestershire in 1318, and of Adderley, Shropshire the following year. In the 1320s he also had a living in County Carlow.

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