Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Alexander Montgomery (1686 – 19 December 1729) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

soldier and politician. Montgomery, of the

Scots Greys The Royal Scots Greys was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard ...

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

, lived in Convoy House,

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He was born into an Ulster Scots

gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest ...

family in 1686, the second son of

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

John Montgomery and his first wife Catherine, the daughter of the Reverend James Auchinleck. The Montgomerys of Convoy were part of the County Donegal branch of the

Clan Montgomery Clan Montgomery (also Montgomerie) is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands. History Origins of the Clan The Montgomeries emigrated from Wales to Scotland in the 12th century with the FitzAlans. The Cambro-Norman family derives its surname ...

. He was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for Donegal Borough in 1725 until the General Election in 1727 and was then returned for County Donegal in 1727 until his death on 19 December 1729, at the age of 43. He was buried at the Church of St. Nicholas Within the Walls, Nicholas Street, Dublin on 22 December 1729. He married Elizabeth Percy, a daughter of Colonel Henry Percy (or Piercy) of Seskin,

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...

. His wife predeceased him in December 1724 and was also interred at St.Nicholas on 5 January 1725. He inherited lands at Croghan, just outside

Lifford Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this ...

in East Donegal, and in 1711 he purchased more lands at Tullydonell from James Nesbit. By 1720 he had also bought his main residence of Convoy, County Donegal. As it took more than a day to travel during his commute between

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

and his estate in Convoy, he bought the Gwyllym estate of for £8,000 in 1724, halfway between both, at

Ballyconnell Ballyconnell () is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated on the N87 national secondary road at the junction of four townlands: Annagh, Cullyleenan, Doon (Tomregan) and Derryginny in the parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw. Ball ...

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

to allow him to break the journey overnight. In his will, he left it to his

nephew In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of an ...

George Leslie, who then assumed the name George Leslie Montgomery, MP for

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road that links Dublin (to the south) with Enniskillen, Bally ...

until 1787. He left no issue. His will is dated 4 July 1727 with a

codicil Codicil may refer to: * Codicil (will), subsequent change or modification of terms made and appended to an existing trust or will and testament * A modification of terms made and appended to an existing constitution, treaty, or standard form c ...

dated 17 December 1728 stating- "''Alexander Montgomery of Dublin City and of Ballyconnell, County Cavan to be buried with wife in Dublin if he dies there. My estates in Counties Cavan and

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of al ...

and leaseholds in County Donegal to trustees for my nephew George Leslie, aged under 21, son of Rev. George Leslie of Clownish, County Monaghan, and of my sister Margaret Leslie Montgomery, his wife, then for Robert Montgomery, fourth son of my uncle Alexander, then for Matthew Montgomery''". (The 'uncle Alexander', referred to in the will, was Colonel

Alexander Montgomery (1667–1722) Colonel Alexander Montgomery (1667 – 25 March 1722) was an Irish soldier and MP. His father was Major John Montgomery of Crogan, County Donegal. Alexander joined the British Army and was promoted a captain of the Inniskilling Dragoons in 1 ...

M.P. for County Monaghan and the grandfather of the famous American Revolution war-hero, Major-General

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and he is most famous for l ...

). Probate was granted on 5 January 172

Up to 1729, Alexander Montgomery shared the parliamentary patronage of

, County Donegal, with the Creighton family, later the Earl of Erne, Earls of Erne. There is an agreement in the Erne papers (held in P.R.O.N.I. in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

) dated 1727 between Alexander Montgomery and General David Creighton about the sharing of Lifford Corporation and its representation in the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fra ...

, to which it sent two MP's. One of the articles of agreement was that, if Montgomery should die without a son, then his interest should pass to the Creightons. Montgomery was elected as an MP for Donegal County in the General Election held later on in 1727Johnston-Lilk (2006), p. 108 so the said General David Creighton and his son and heir, Abraham Creighton, (later the 1st Lord Erne) were returned as the two Lifford MP's. General David Creighton died in 1728 so the Lifford seat was filled by Thomas Montgomery (1700– April 1761), the 1st cousin of Alexander and father of the aforementioned Major-General

. On the death of the said Thomas Montgomery in 1761, full control of the Lifford seats passed to said Abraham Creighton.

Notes

References

* * (Readable online at http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/john-gough-nichols/the-topographer-and-genealogist-volume-2-hci/page-48-the-topographer-and-genealogist-volume-2-hci.shtml, pages 48+) {{DEFAULTSORT:Montgomery, Alexander 1686 births 1729 deaths Irish MPs 1715–1727 Irish MPs 1727–1760 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Donegal constituencies Royal Scots Greys officers People from County Donegal Clan Montgomery

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