Richard Nugent, 2nd Earl of Westmeath (1621/23 – 25 February 1684) was an Irish nobleman.
Life
He was the grandson of
Richard Nugent, 1st Earl of Westmeath
Richard Nugent, 1st Earl of Westmeath (1583–1642) was an Irish nobleman and politician of the seventeenth century. He was imprisoned for plotting against the English Crown in 1607, but soon obtained a royal pardon, and thereafter was, in gener ...
and Jenet Plunkett. Nugent's father, Christopher, Lord Delvin, had predeceased the first Earl, meaning that Richard Nugent succeeded to the earldom on his grandfather's death in 1641. His mother was Lady Anne MacDonnell, daughter of
Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim
Randall MacSorley MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim, PC (Ire) (died 1636), rebelled together with Tyrone and Tyrconnell in the Nine Years' War but having succeeded his brother, Sir James mac Sorley MacDonnell, as Lord of the Route and the Glynn ...
and his wife
Ellis (or Alice) O'Neill, daughter of
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone
Hugh O'Neill ( Irish: ''Aodh Mór Ó Néill''; literally ''Hugh The Great O'Neill''; – 20 July 1616), was an Irish Gaelic lord, Earl of Tyrone (known as the Great Earl) and was later created ''The Ó Néill Mór'', Chief of the Name. O'Nei ...
and his fourth wife Catherine Magennis.
Before 1641 he married his kinswoman, Mary Nugent (widow of Christopher Plunkett, who was a younger son of Christopher Plunkett, 8th
Baron of Dunsany
The title Baron of Dunsany or, more commonly, Lord Dunsany, is one of the oldest dignities in the Peerage of Ireland, one of just a handful of 13th- to 15th-century titles still extant, having had 21 holders, of the Plunkett name, to date. Other ...
), and daughter of Sir Thomas Nugent, 1st Baronet of Moyrath and his wife Alison Barnewall, daughter of Robert Barnewall of Robertstown,
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 ...
.
While attempting to make his way back to Ireland in December 1641 upon the outbreak of the
1641 Rebellion, Nugent was arrested on suspicion of complicity in the uprising. He subsequently served as
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 ...
commander during the
Irish Confederate Wars, seeing action at the
Battle of Dungan's Hill
The Battle of Dungan's Hill took place in County Meath, in eastern Ireland on 8 August 1647. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English Parliament during the Irish Confederate Wars. The Irish army was intercep ...
in August 1647, where he was captured. He later served as General of the Forces of
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
from 1650-52. His conduct as a military leader was severely criticised by his own side: he was called a general who had never put an army in the field, nor gained the support of anyone who could perform an action worth sixpence. During
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
's campaign in Ireland,
Clonyn Castle
Clonyn Castle also known as Delvin Castle, is a Victorian country house situated in Delvin, County Westmeath, Ireland some 18 km from Mullingar
Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most ...
, the main Nugent residence, was burnt: according to one account Lord Westmeath burnt it himself to prevent it falling into his enemy's hands. He submitted to the Parliamentary forces in the latter year but was excluded from the
Act of Settlement 1652 and transplanted to
Connaught
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
, despite his rather abject pleas to be allowed to remain, and protestations of loyalty to the new regime. After the
Restoration of Charles II
The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to be ...
, he received a large pension as a reward for his loyalty to the Crown, which, in accordance with the general policy of Indemnity and Oblivion, was prepared to overlook his later subservience to Cromwell. He took no further part in public affairs.
Family
Richard and Mary Nugent had the following issue:
*
Christopher Nugent, Lord Delvin
Christopher Nugent, Lord Delvin (died before 1680) was the eldest son of Richard Nugent, 2nd Earl of Westmeath and his wife and cousin Mary Nugent, daughter of Sir Thomas Nugent and widow of Christopher Plunkett. His brother was Thomas Nugent, 1 ...
, married Mary Butler, died before 1680, leaving issue
* Lady Anne Nugent, married firstly
Lucas Dillon, 6th Viscount Dillon
Lucas Dillon, 6th Viscount Dillon (died 1682) was an Irish peer who obtained favours from King Charles II.
Birth and origins
Lucas was born in Ireland as the eldest son of Theobald Dillon and his wife Sarah Bourke. His father was the third s ...
, and secondly
Sir William Talbot, 3rd Baronet
Sir William Talbot, 3rd Baronet (c.1643-1691) was the last of the Talbot baronets of Carton: his title was forfeited on account of his loyalty to King James II of England. He was an Irish politician and judge, who served briefly as Master of the ...
, and died after 14 Jul 1710. She had no issue by either marriage
*
Thomas Nugent, 1st Baron Nugent of Riverston,
Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
The Court of King's Bench (or Court of Queen's Bench during the reign of a Queen) was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England. The Lord Chief Justice was the most senior judge i ...
, died 2 Apr 1715, ancestor of the present Earl of Westmeath
* Lady Mary Nugent b. 21 Feb 1648, married Henry Barnewall, 2nd
Viscount Barnewall
Viscount Barnewall, of Kingsland in the Parish of Donabate in the County of Dublin, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 29 June 1646 for Nicholas Barnewall, who had earlier represented County Dublin in the Irish House of Commo ...
of Kingsland, and died 25 Jun 1680
* William Nugent, MP for
Westmeath
"Noble above nobility"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 =
, subdivis ...
(died 1690)
* Lady Alison Nugent, married Henry Dowdall of Brownstown,
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 ...
* Lady Jane Nugent, married Brigadier-General Alexander MacDonnell of
County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...
in 1685.
He was succeeded by his grandson,
Richard Nugent, 3rd Earl of Westmeath
Richard Nugent, 3rd Earl of Westmeath, born before 1669, died April 1714, was an Irish peer and Roman Catholic monk.
Nugent was the eldest son of Christopher Nugent, Lord Delvin and Mary Butler (a daughter of Colonel Hon. Richard Butler and Lad ...
, eldest son of Christopher, Lord Delvin. The third Earl was a
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
who spent most of his adult life in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and on his death, the title passed to his two younger brothers, Thomas and John, in turn.
External links
* http://thepeerage.com/p37091.htm#i370910
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westmeath, Richard Nugent, 2nd Earl of
17th-century Irish politicians
Irish soldiers in the Irish Confederate Wars
1684 deaths
People from County Westmeath
Year of birth uncertain
Earls of Westmeath