Thomas de Rokeby (died 1356)

Sir Thomas de Rokeby (died 1356) was a leading soldier and Crown official in fourteenth-century England who served as Justiciar of Ireland. He had considerable early success in the task of restoring law and order in Ireland, which was the principal reason for appointment, but he was recalled to England after the situation deteriorated, although he was later re-appointed to the office of Justiciar, and returned to Ireland shortly before his death.

The Rokebys were a prominent landowning family from North Yorkshire; Thomas was probably the son of the Thomas de Rokeby who died in 1318. His nephew, also named Thomas, was closely associated with him in his later years and the elder Thomas was often called "l'oncle" to distinguish him from his nephew. It was probably the nephew, not the uncle, who was the grandfather of the Sir Thomas de Rokeby who died c.1423.

Rokeby first came to official attention in 1327 when, after his return from having been a prisoner in Scotland, he received a reward from the new King Edward III, for being the man who had first pointed out the approach of the Scots army; he was knighted and given lands worth £100 a year. He saw action against the Scots regularly between 1336 and 1342 and had charge of Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle while they were held by the English. He was High Sheriff of Yorkshire 1342-1349. He was one of the English commanders at the Battle of Neville's Cross, and it was said, "gave the Scots such a draught as they did not care to taste again". He was then charged with bringing King David II of Scotland to London, and he received further grants of land.

In 1349 he was appointed Justiciar of Ireland, and given a large armed retinue, as it was recognised by the English Crown that "Ireland is not in good plight or good peace". He arrived in December and made a quick circuit of the south of Ireland, mainly to keep watch on the troublesome magnate Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond.

...
Wikipedia