Viscount Gormanston is a

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

in the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...

created in 1478 and held by the head of the Preston family, which hailed from

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 ...

. It is the oldest vicomital

in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

; the holder is Premier Viscount of Ireland. The Preston family descends from Sir Robert Preston, who served as

Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland (commonly known as Lord Chancellor of Ireland) was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801, it was also the highest political office of ...

. Sometime between 1365 and 1370 he was created Baron Gormanston by

writ In common law, a writ (Anglo-Saxon ''gewrit'', Latin ''breve'') is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, a ...

to the

Parliament of Ireland The Parliament of Ireland ( ga, Parlaimint na hÉireann) was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two chamb ...

. His son and heir, the second

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

, played a prominent part in public affairs, and was arrested for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

in 1418. His great-grandson, the fourth Baron, served as

Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...

: in 1478 he was created Viscount Gormanston in the Peerage of Ireland. His son, the second viscount, served as

Lord Justice of Ireland The Lords Justices (more formally the Lords Justices General and General Governors of Ireland) were deputies who acted collectively in the absence of the chief governor of Ireland (latterly the Lord Lieutenant) as head of the executive branch of ...

in 1525. A later descendant, the seventh Viscount, was a supporter of

King James II James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

and was outlawed after the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

. Jenico Preston helped to suppress the

Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influence ...

. In 1800 he had the outlawry reversed and was summoned to 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 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland. It was modelled on the House of Lords of England, with membe ...

as the twelfth Viscount Gormanston. He was the great-grandson of Anthony Preston, the ''de jure'' ninth Viscount Gormanston, the nephew of the seventh Viscount. The twelfth Viscount was succeeded by his son, the thirteenth Viscount. In 1868 he was created Baron Gormanston, in County Meath, in the

Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...

, which gave the

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

s an automatic seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

. His son, the fourteenth Viscount, notably served as Governor of British Guiana and as

Governor of Tasmania The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the ...

. The 15th viscount was a captain in the

Royal Irish Fusiliers The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot in ...

and a Deputy Lieutenant of County Meath. the

titles A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

are held by the latter's great-grandson, the seventeenth Viscount who succeeded to the titles in 1940 at the age of seven months after his father was killed in action during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Another member of the Preston family was

Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara (1585October, 1655) was an Irish soldier of the 17th century. After lengthy service as a mercenary in the Spanish Army, Preston returned to Ireland following the outbreak of the Rebellion of 1641. He was appoint ...

. He was the second son of the fourth Viscount Gormanston. Also,

John Preston, 1st Baron Tara John Preston, 1st Baron Tara (4 November 1764 – 18 July 1821), was an Irish politician. Preston was the son of John Preston, a descendant of a younger brother of Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara, second son of Christopher Preston, 4th V ...

, was a descendant of a younger brother The unusual first name Jenico borne by many Preston boys derives from the Gascon-born soldier

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

Jenico d'Artois Sir Jenico d'Artois, Dartas, Dartass or Dartasso (c.1350 – November 1426) was a Gascony-born soldier and statesman, much of whose career was spent in Ireland. He enjoyed the trust and confidence of three successive English monarchs, and became a ...

, a prominent military commander who became a substantial landowner in

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 ...

. His daughter Jane married the 3rd Baron Gormanston, and was mother of Sir Robert Preston, who was created a

viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

. The family seat was

Gormanston Castle Franciscan College Gormanston is a school operated and managed by the Irish province of the Order of the Friars Minor. The college operates under the trusteeship of the Minister Provincial and Definitory of the Franciscan Province of Ireland. ...

, near

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...

Barons Gormanston (1365/1370)

Robert Preston, 1st Baron Gormanston Robert Preston, 1st Baron Gormanston (died 1396) was an Anglo-Irish nobleman, statesman and judge of the fourteenth century. He held several senior judicial offices including, for a brief period, that of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He was the foun ...

(died 1396) *

Christopher Preston, 2nd Baron Gormanston Christopher Preston, 2nd Baron Gormanston ( 1354 – 1422) was an Anglo-Irish peer and statesman. He was accused of treason and imprisoned in 1418-19, but was soon released and restored to Royal favour. Early career He was the son of Robert Prest ...

(died 1422) *

Christopher Preston, 3rd Baron Gormanston Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

(died 1450) * Robert Preston, 4th Baron Gormanston (died 1503; created Viscount Gormanston in 1478)

Viscounts Gormanston (1478)

Robert Preston, 1st Viscount Gormanston Robert Preston, 1st Viscount Gormanston (1435–1503) was an Irish peer and statesman of the fifteenth century who held the offices of Deputy to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland and Lord Deputy of Ireland. Background He was the son of Christopher P ...

(1435–1503) * William Preston, 2nd Viscount Gormanston (died 1532); only son of the 1st Viscount * Jenico Preston, 3rd Viscount Gormanston (1502–1569); only son of the 2nd Viscount * Christopher Preston, 4th Viscount Gormanston (1546–1599); eldest son of the 3rd Viscount * Jenico Preston, 5th Viscount Gormanston (1584–1630); eldest son of the 4th Viscount *

Nicholas Preston, 6th Viscount Gormanston Nicholas Preston, 6th Viscount Gormanston (1606–1643) sat in the House of Lords of the Irish Parliament of 1634–1635 and sided with the insurgents after the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Birth and origins Nicholas was born about 1608, the el ...

(1608–1643); only son of the 5th Viscount *

Jenico Preston, 7th Viscount Gormanston Jenico Preston, 7th Viscount Gormanston (born at Gormanston, County Meath 1631; died at Limerick 17 March 1691), was an Irish peer, Jacobite soldier and landowner. Life The elder son of Nicholas Preston, 6th Viscount Gormanston and Mary Barnewall, ...

(died 1691) (outlawed 1691); eldest son of the 6th Viscount *Jenico Preston, ''de jure'' 8th Viscount Gormanston (1640–1700); eldest son of 2nd (and youngest) son of the 6th Viscount *Anthony Preston, ''de jure'' 9th Viscount Gormanston (died 1716); only brother of the '' de jure'' 8th Viscount *Jenico Preston, ''de jure'' 10th Viscount Gormanston (1707–1757); only son of '' de jure'' 9th Viscount *Anthony Preston, ''de jure'' 11th Viscount Gormanston (1736–1786); eldest son of the '' de jure'' 10th Viscount * Jenico Preston, 12th Viscount Gormanston (1775–1860) (restored 1800); only son of the ''de jure'' 11th Viscount * Edward Anthony John Preston, 13th Viscount Gormanston (1796–1876); eldest son of the 12th Viscount * Jenico William Joseph Preston, 14th Viscount Gormanston (1837–1907); eldest son of the 13th Viscount * Jenico Edward Joseph Preston, 15th Viscount Gormanston (1879–1925); eldest son of the 14th Viscount * Jenico William Richard Preston, 16th Viscount Gormanston (1914–1940); eldest son of the 15th Viscount; killed in action, France, World War II * Jenico Nicholas Dudley Preston, 17th Viscount Gormanston (born 1939); only son of the 16th Viscount **The

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

is the present Viscount's elder son Hon. Jenico Francis Tara Preston (born 1974)Hon. Jenico Preston @ The British Fashion Council
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References

External links

* * *Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors); ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York:

St Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

, 1990. *Tiernan, Sonja, ‘“A Zealous Catholic and a Notorious Trouble-Maker” The Gormanston Papers in the National Library of Ireland’ in Ríocht na Mídhe: Meath Archæological and Historical Society. Vol. XX, 2009, pp. 171–88. *Catalogue for Gormanston Estate Papers at National Library of Ireland, ''qv.'
www.nli.ie
* ''Burke's Peerage & Baronetage'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Gormanston Viscountcies in the Peerage of Ireland Noble titles created in 1478

Barons Gormanston (1365/1370)

Viscounts Gormanston (1478)

See also

References

External links