Robert Paston, 1st Earl of Yarmouth

Paston was the son of Sir William Paston, 1st Baronet of Oxnead and his first wife Lady Katherine Bertie, daughter of Robert Bertie, 1st Earl of Lindsey. He was educated at Westminster School and was a student of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1646. He travelled abroad in France. In 1660 he was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Thetford in the Convention Parliament. He was knighted on 27 May 1660.[1]

In 1661 Paston was elected MP for Castle Rising and sat until 1673, when he had to relinquish his seat on being raised to the peerage as Viscount Yarmouth. He had inherited the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1663. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk on 6 March 1676, retaining the office until his death. He was created the 1st Earl of Yarmouth in 1679.[1]

Following the creation of the Royal Society in 1660, he was accepted as an Original Fellow on 20 May 1663. With another Fellow, Thomas Henshaw, he attempted to discover a formula for the fabled "red elixir", another name for the philosopher's stone which alchemists believed could transmute base metals into gold.[2] In a letter to Sir Thomas Browne he informed the Norwich physician-philosopher of his alchemical experiments -

I have at Oxnead seen this salt change black as ink, I must, at the lowest, have an excellent aurum potable, and if the signs we are to judge in Sendivogius’ description be true, I have the key which answers to what he says, that if a man has that which will disolve [sic?] gold as warm water doth ice, you have that which gold was first made in the earth.[3]

Paston lived at Richmond. In May 1666, he wrote a letter to his wife mentioning "a game of criquett (sic) on Richmond Green" which is the first reference to cricket at Richmond Green, a popular venue for important matches during the 17th and 18th centuries.[4]

There is a painting in the Norwich Castle Museum, of Robert Paston and his father William's artefact collection known as The Paston Treasure.[5]

Paston married Rebecca Clayton daughter of Sir Jasper Clayton, Haberdasher, of London on 15 June 1650. They had six sons and three daughters. Rebecca died on 16 February 1694.

Their son William married Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of Charles II.[1] Both Robert and his son were in high favour with the Stuarts.

• Oxnead
• Paston, Norfolk
• The Paston Treasure