Sir Robert Bell (Unknown — d. 1577) of Beaupre Hall, Norfolk, was a Speaker of the House of Commons (1572-1576), who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

"Knighted 1577, Of Counsel King's Lynn 1560, Recorder from 1561, Bencher Middle Temple 1565, Autumn Reader 1565, Lent Reader 1571", HoP "Of Counsel Great Yarmouth from 11 February 1562-3",DNB "Justice of the Peace of the Quorum, Norfolk from 1564, Commissioner of Grain 1576, Musters by 1576, Serjeant-at-Law 1577, 24 January 1577, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer."

Robert Bell seems to have achieved notable success at the beginning of his career, specifically (6 March 1559), upon accomplishing favorable results, for the patentees of the lands of John White, bishop of Winchester; of which he was of counsel, together with Alexander Nowell.

Bells' clients (some, members of the privy chamber of King Henry VIII and of his son Edward VI) ODNB shed light on the associations that he enjoyed, and speak highly of his abilities: Henry Clifford of Wiltshire, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, Sir William Fitzwilliam, Sir Philip Hoby, Sir John Mason, Sir Henry Seymour, Sir Henry Neville, who married Elizabeth Gresham (the niece of Sir Thomas Gresham), Sir Richard Sackville, Sir Richard Kingsmill, John Owersall, Edmund Gascoygne, and William Karvell.

His career was further secured and launched with his fortunate marriage (15 October 1559), to the baroness Dorthie Beaupre. This afforded him a large estate in Outwell, Norfolk, along with the local offices and status that came with it. 3 As Member of Parliament for King's Lynn, during the 1563 and 1566 Parliaments, Bell made a 'thorough' nuisance of himself to the government, and was considered a radical; noted by William Cecil as one of the two leading trouble makers, during those sessions.

Additionally, it would appear that on at least one occasion, Elizabeth I, witnessed this behavior, as 'On 19 October 1566, '[Bell] did argue very boldly' to pursue the succession question; "in the face of the Queen's command to leave it alone". "In her own words 'Mr Bell with his complices.... must needs prefer their speeches to the upper house to have you, my lords, consent with them, whereby you were seduced, and of simplicity did assent unto it'.

'Early in the next Parliament (5 April 1571) he [boldly'] launched an attack on the Queen's purveyors, who took 'under pretence of her Majesty's service what they would at what price they themselves liked...' 'Later in 1576, this speech was recalled by Peter Wentworth during his motion for liberty of speech: 'The last Parliament he that is now Speaker uttered a very good speech for the calling in of certain licences granted to four courtiers to the utter undoing of 6,000 or 8,000 of the Queen Majesty's subjects. This speech was so disliked by some of the [Privy'] council, that he was sent for and so hardly dealt with that he came into the House with such an amazed countance that it daunted all the House'

Nevertheless, on 19 April 1571, he was an advocate for the residents of less fortunate boroughs, and 'thought it was necessary that [the rights of] all places should be [represented] provided for equally [wealthy or poor]' and further, proposed that all boroughs who sought to nominate a nobleman, should suffer a fairly substantial financial penalty, "mindfull, no doubt of the power of the Duke of Norfolk in his county."

From 1570-72, Robert Bell served as crown counsel, 11 with the prosecution of individuals in connexion with certain conspiracies, and, perhaps, it was Bell's outspokenness, hitherto, that revealed his niche, as shortly following this period, he was recommended by William Cecil for Speaker 9 (Prolocutor), elected by the House, and approved by Elizabeth I, 8 May 1572. 'The Queen on her part', he was told, had 'sufficiently heard of your truth and fidelity towards her and ... understandith your ability to accomplish the same.'

Bell's second disabling speech of that day was full of luminous detail and "was a model of circumspection:, a lawyer's piece larded with legal precedent; in his careful transmission of royal messages and his preference that attempts to persuade a reluctant queen should be by written arguments rather than by his spoken word;" 'some of it is worth quoting'...'as an early example of the taste for precedents that became common place in the history of the House during the seventeenth century'

.."Mr. Bell's second Oration."

.."Your highness' noble progenitors kings of this realm",.."Whereupon King Henry III finding no such perfection therein as he did desire, by the mature deliberation and grave advice of his lords and council did condescend to walk in a new course of government in which he determined that all things should be provided for by Authority of Parliament..."

"He concluded his speech by requesting the *ordinary petitions consisting in three points,...

I. Liberty of speech

II. Access to the Queen

III. That if by my imperfection, I shall mistake and so misreport any message, either from the House to your Majesty or from your Majesty to them, that I may be received to repair anew for the declaration of the same." 3

While Speaker, Bell presided over some of the more dynamic issues of the Elizabethan Parliaments, notably, a session concerned with the question of Mary Queen of Scots; where he was advised to shorten the discussion upon receiving a royal message, that was whispered in his ear by Sir Christopher Hatton.

In 1575, Bell revisited the succession question, and, although, on this occasion, he 'humbly' and 'respectfully', petitioned Elizabeth "to make the kingdom further happy in her marriage, so that her people might hope for a continual succession of benefits in her posterity", Elizabeth still refused.