Sir Gilbert Ireland (1624 – 30 April 1675) of Hale Hall, Lancashire was an English politician who sat in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
at various times between 1654 and 1675.
Ireland was the son of John Ireland of Hutt and
Hale
Hale may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hale, Northern Territory, a locality
*Hale River, in southeastern Northern Territory
Canada
*Hale, Ontario, in Algoma District United Kingdom
* Hale, Cumbria, a hamlet near Beetham, Cumbria
*Hale, Greater Man ...
and his wife Elizabeth Hays, daughter of Sir Thomas Hays, alderman of London.
[Le Neves Pedigrees of the Knights]
/ref> He was a grandson of Sir Gilbert Ireland who brought the giant John Middleton to court. He inherited both the house at Hutt and Hale Hall on the death of his father in 1633. In 1645, he was one of committee appointed by parliament to assess taxes in Lancashire. He was High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...
in 1648.
In 1654, Ireland 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 ...
for Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
in the First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the Hou ...
, and was re-elected in 1656 for the Second Protectorate Parliament
The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons. In its first session, the House of Commons was its only chamber; in t ...
. In 1659, he was elected MP for Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
in the Third Protectorate Parliament
The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a powe ...
.[ Ireland was re-elected MP for Liverpool in April 1660 for the Convention Parliament.][ He was knighted at the Restoration on 16 June 1660.][ In 1661 he was re-elected MP for Liverpool for the ]Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...
and sat until his death in 1675.[
In 1674 he moved into Hale Hall after completing alterations to the house. He hid the gables on the north front of the Jacobean building behind a brick parapet which was ornamented with stone medallions and other features and arched over the recesses between the bays. On the tower he placed a stone tablet inscribed "Built by Sir Gilbert Ireland, Knt, and Dame Margt, Ao dI 1674".]
He was elected Mayor of Liverpool
The mayor of Liverpool is the executive mayor of the city of Liverpool in England. The incumbent mayor is Joanne Anderson, who was elected in May 2021.
The mayor of Liverpool was previously branded 'the most powerful politician in England outs ...
in 1674, but died during his year of office.[ Ireland had married Margaret Ireland, daughter of Thomas Ireland of Beausey, Lancashire,][ but died without issue. Hale Hall passed to his nephew, also Gilbert.
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ireland, Gilbert
1624 births
1675 deaths
High Sheriffs of Lancashire
Mayors of Liverpool
Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Lancashire
English MPs 1654–1655
English MPs 1656–1658
English MPs 1659
English MPs 1660
English MPs 1661–1679
Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Liverpool
People from Childwall