A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices/Broke, Sir Robert
Son of Thomas Broke, of Claverley, Salop. There is no record of his admission to the Inn, but he was Autumn Reader, 1542; and Lent Reader in 1551. He became Recorder of London in 1545, and in the second Parliament of Queen Mary, living a zealous Roman Catholic, was made Speaker of the House of Commons. He was made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1554. In this capacity he acquired a high reputation both for ability and impartiality, but it is as the author of the well known Abridgment, bearing his name, that he is best known to modern students. He died in 1558. His published works are: An Abridgment containing an abstract of the Year Books from 6 Hen. .8 to 4 Qu. Mary (1573); Certain Cases adjudged in the time of K. Hen. 8, Edw. 6, and Qu. Mary, from 6 Hen. S to 4 of Qu. Mary [originally entitled in French Ascuns novels cases, etc.] (1578); Reading upon the Statute of Magna Charta, c. 16 (1641); Reading on the Statute of Limitations, 32 Hen. 8, c. 2 (1647).