Roger Cholmeley

 ( 1480s Births ) 

Sir Roger Cholmeley ( ; sometimes spelled Cholmley or Cholmondeley; – 21 June 1565) was Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1552 to 1553. From 1535 to 1545 he was Recorder of London and served in the House of Commons. He is possibly best remembered for his endowment to found a free grammar school, Highgate School, at London.

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Background and early life Cholmeley was the illegitimate son of Sir Richard Cholmeley of Yorkshire (c. 1460 – 1521), who served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London from 1513 to 1520. Cholmeley's family can be traced back to the 12th-century Robert de Chelmundelegh, second son of William le Belward, who inherited parts of the Barony of Malpas (for which Malpas, Cheshire, is named), including Cholmondeley, Cheshire, previously held by Robert Fitzhugh. Over the centuries, the family name was spelt in many variants as Middle English developed away from French influences. Different branches of the family still spell the name differently, and Cholmeley's most famous cousins, of Cholmondeley, Cheshire, spell it "Cholmondeley". Cholmondeley family history Genealogy of this branch of Cholmeley family The pronunciation and spelling are neither counterintuitive nor phonetic, but as used down the ages.

Roger Cholmeley was educated to the law at Lincoln's Inn from 1506. Despite thrice being expelled from the Inn, he entered the legal profession.Will and probate for Sir Richard Cholmeley, National Archives Records: Consistory Court of Canterbury, Wills and Probates 1383-1558 vol. 1 & 2 (J. G. Challenor Smith) December 1521 and March 1522, available online at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

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Career Most of Cholmeley's career as a lawyer was spent in the City of London, but he lived at Highgate in Middlesex. In 1520 he was called as a bencher of Lincoln's Inn, in 1531 became a serjeant-at-law, and in November 1534 was . From 1535 to 1545 he was Recorder of London, during which time he was one of the city's Members of Parliament in four Parliaments.

In November 1545 Cholmeley became Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and in May 1552 was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench. He was Lord Chief Justice for only a year as Queen Mary I would not reappoint him. The same year, he was imprisoned for a month and fined for signing Lady Jane Grey's instrument of succession as Queen. He returned to work as a barrister and was a Member of Parliament for Middlesex from 1554 to 1559.

Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth I stayed the night of 15 Feb 1555 at Cholmeley’s residence in Highgate.

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Highgate School Cholmeley founded Highgate School, which was established by royal charter in 1565. Former pupils of the school are known as Old Cholmeleians in his memory. The school has gone on to become a leading independent school (sometimes referred to as a public school). Old Cholmeleians include John Venn, the creator of Venn diagrams, poets Gerard Manley Hopkins and John Betjeman, and musicians John Tavener and John Rutter.

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Death

Cholmeley died in London on 21 June 1565. He was buried at St Martin, Ludgate.

He willed property to nephew Jasper.

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Family

He married Christine Hurst, who died in 1558. They had two daughters:

• Elizabeth, married first to Sir Leonard Beckwith of Selby, Yorkshire, and secondly (1559) to Christopher Kern of Kern, Somersetshire;
• Frances, the other daughter, was married to Sir Thomas Russell of Strensham, Worcestershire.

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Further reading

• (2025). 9780993298202, Highgate School. ISBN 9780993298202

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Categories: 1480s Births, 1565 Deaths, People From Highgate, Founders Of English Schools And Colleges, Lord Chief Justices Of England And Wales, Chief Barons Of The Exchequer, 16th-century English Judges, Recorders Of London, 16th-century English Knights, Roger, Serjeants-at-law, English Mps 1529–1536, English Mps 1536, English Mps 1539–1540, English Mps 1542–1544, English Mps 1554–1555, English Mps 1555, English Mps 1558

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