Maurice Mahon, 1st Baron Hartland (21 June 1738 – 4 January 1819), was an Irish politician and landowner. He and his sons intermittently represented

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...

in 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 ...

and the

United Kingdom Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremacy ...

. He was able to transform his support of the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

of Great Britain and Ireland into a peerage, but was frustrated in his subsequent desire to become a viscount. Mahon was the son of Thomas Mahon and Hon. Jane, daughter of

Maurice Crosbie, 1st Baron Brandon Maurice Crosbie, 1st Baron Brandon, (c. 1689 –1762) was an Irish politician and peer. He was the son of David Crosbie, High Sheriff of Kerry, and his wife Jane Hamilton, daughter of William Hamilton of Lisclooney, County Offaly, and grandson o ...

, and Lady Elizabeth Fitzmaurice. He was born in

Strokestown Strokestown ( ga, Béal na mBuillí), also known as Bellanamullia and Bellanamully, is a small town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is one of the 27 designated Heritage Towns in Ireland. Located in the part of the country marketed for Desti ...

. On 17 June 1765, he married Hon. Catherine (died March 1834), daughter of

Stephen Moore, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell Stephen Moore, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell (1696 – 26 February 1766), known as The Lord Kilworth between 1764 and 1766, was an Irish politician. Moore was the son of Richard Moore, of Cashell, County Tipperary, by the Honourable Elizabeth Pons ...

and Alicia Colville. They had three sons:

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

(1766–1835),

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

(1768–1828), and

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor * Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and L ...

(1772–1845). Maurice's father Thomas died in 1782, and Maurice succeeded to the family's

estate. The Mahons were one of several important electoral interests in

Roscommon Roscommon (; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60, N61 and N63 roads. The name Roscommon is derived from Coman mac Faelchon who built ...

, and Maurice was able to succeed his father as one of the representatives for

in the Irish Parliament. However, he lost the seat to Arthur French, of French Park, in 1783. Mahon was eager to be created a peer, and the widespread bribery preceding the

provided him with an opportunity. When Viscount Kingsborough succeeded his father as

Earl of Kingston Earl of Kingston is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1768 for Edward King, 1st Viscount Kingston. The Earl holds the subsidiary titles Baron Kingston, of Rockingham in the County of Roscommon (created in 1764), Viscount ...

in 1799 and triggered a by-election for County Roscommon, Mahon saw an opportunity. The King family's preferred candidate, Hon. Robert King, opposed the Union, and Mahon got the support of the administration by promising them a pro-Union vote. With their help, Mahon won the support of the Catholic and independent interests of the county for his eldest son Thomas, who had recently defended Carlow during the

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 influenced ...

. King ultimately stood down before the poll, and Thomas took the Roscommon seat. However, the Roscommon electors were implacably anti-Union, and Thomas absented himself from Parliament rather than vote for or against the Union. Maurice was forced to buy a seat at

Knocktopher Knocktopher (historically ''Knocktofer'' and ''Knocktover''; ) is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated on the R713 road between the villages of Stoneyford to the north, and Ballyhale to the south. It was formerly situated on ...

for his younger son

to carry out his obligations to the administration. The stratagem worked: Stephen voted for the Union, and on 30 July 1800, Maurice was raised to 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 ...

as Baron Hartland, of

in the County of Roscommon, as a reward for his support. The administration still wished to conciliate the powerful King family, and without their support, Thomas did not stand for Roscommon in the 1802 election. In the 1806 election, Hartland put forth his younger son Stephen for Roscommon, at a cost of £1,696 18s. in election expenses; he made a strong showing and the Kings conceded without a poll, to the administration's displeasure. Stephen continued to support government on Hartland's instructions, his object being to secure a further promotion to 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 ...

in the Irish peerage. He was not successful in this, although Stephen did not go into opposition until shortly after his father's death. Hartland died on 4 January 1819, aged 80, and was succeeded in the barony by his son,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartland, Maurice Mahon, 1st Baron 1738 births 1819 deaths Barons in the Peerage of Ireland Peers of Ireland created by George III Irish MPs 1776–1783 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Roscommon constituencies People from Strokestown