Clotworthy Skeffington, 3rd Viscount Massereene (1661 – 1714) was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

soldier, politician and peer. Skeffington was the son of

John Skeffington, 2nd Viscount Massereene John Skeffington, 2nd Viscount Massereene (December 1632 – 21 June 1695) was an Anglo-Irish politician, official, and peer. He was one of the leading Presbyterians in Ireland during his lifetime. Early life and family Skeffington was the son of ...

and Mary Clotworthy, the daughter of

John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene (died September 1665) was a prominent Anglo-Irish politician. Origins He was the son and heir of Sir Hugh Clotworthy (died 1630), High Sheriff of Antrim (who first came to Ireland as a soldier in the N ...

. During the

Williamite War in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland took place from March 1689 to October 1691. Fought between Jacobitism, Jacobite supporters of James II of England, James II and those of his successor, William III of England, William III, it resulted in a Williamit ...

, he joined the

Earl of Mount Alexander Earl of Mount Alexander was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1661 for Hugh Montgomery, 3rd Viscount Montgomery. He was the grandson of Hugh Montgomery, known as one of the "founding fathers" of the Ulster Scots, who was raised ...

's Protestant militia in 1688 and received a commission as a colonel from

William III of England William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...

in January 1689. Skeffington participated in the successful defence of

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

during the

Siege of Derry The siege of Derry in 1689 was the first major event in the Williamite War in Ireland. The siege was preceded by an attempt against the town by Jacobite forces on 7 December 1688 that was foiled when 13 apprentices shut the gates. Thi ...

from April to August 1689. Like his father, he was

attainted In English criminal law, attainder was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary titles, but ...

James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

Patriot Parliament Patriot Parliament is the name commonly used for the Irish Parliament session called by King James II during the Williamite War in Ireland which lasted from 1688 to 1691. The first since 1666, it held only one session, which lasted from 7 May ...

in Dublin in 1689. After the war, Skeffington was the Member of Parliament for

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

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 the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

from 1692 to 1693.E. M. Johnston-Liik
''MPs in Dublin: Companion to History of the Irish Parliament, 1692-1800''
(Ulster Historical Foundation, 2006), p.122. Retrieved 12 February 2023. He inherited his father's

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

in 1695 and assumed his seat in the

Irish House of Lords The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from medieval times until the end of 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland. It was modelled on the House of Lords of Englan ...

. He was appointed

Governor of Londonderry The Governor of Londonderry and Culmore was a British military appointment. The Governor was the officer who commanded the garrison and fortifications of the city of Derry and of Culmore fort. The Governor was paid by The Honourable The Irish So ...

in 1699. On 9 March 1680, he married Rachel Hungerford, daughter of Sir Edward Hungerford, by whom he had one son and three daughters. He was succeeded in his title by his son, Clotworthy Skeffington.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Massereene, Clotworthy Skeffington, 3rd Viscount 1661 births 1714 deaths 17th-century Anglo-Irish people 18th-century Anglo-Irish people Irish MPs 1692–1693 Irish Presbyterians Irish soldiers Members of the Irish House of Lords Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Antrim constituencies 3 Williamite military personnel of the Williamite War in Ireland