Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden, (27 October 1788 – 20 March 1870), styled Viscount Jocelyn between 1797 and 1820, was an Irish

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

politician and supporter of Protestant causes.

Background

Jocelyn was the son of

Robert Jocelyn, 2nd Earl of Roden Robert Jocelyn, 2nd Earl of Roden KP, PC (Ire) (26 October 1756 – 29 June 1820) was an Irish peer, soldier and politician. He was styled The Honourable from his birth to 1771, and then Viscount Jocelyn from 1771 to 1797. He was the eldest son ...

, and his first wife Frances Theodosia, daughter of the Very Reverend Robert Bligh, Dean of Elphin.thepeerage.com Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden
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Political career

An ardent conservative, Jocelyn was Member of Parliament for

County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...

from 1806 to 1807 and again from 1810 to 1820, when he succeeded his father in the earldom. In March 1812 he was sworn of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

and appointed

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The current holder of the office is Ma ...

under

Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval (1 November 1762 – 11 May 1812) was a British statesman and barrister who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. Perceval is the only British prime minister to ...

, an office he retained when

Lord Liverpool Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, (7 June 1770 – 4 December 1828) was a British Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. He held many important cabinet offices such as Foreign Secret ...

became Prime Minister in June 1812 after Perceval's assassination. In July 1812 he was made Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, a post he held until the Liverpool administration fell in 1827. In 1821 he was created Baron Clanbrassil, of Hyde Hall in the County of Hertford and Dundalk in the County of Louth, 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 entitled him to 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 ...

. The same year, on 20 August 1821, he was also appointed a Knight of the

Order of St Patrick The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a dormant British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by King George III at the request of the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, The 3rd Earl Temple (later cre ...

. In 1858 he was sworn of the Irish Privy Council.

Supporter of Protestant causes

Despite Lord Roden's political career, he is best remembered for his strong support for Protestant causes in the north of Ireland and elsewhere. He supported religious societies such as the Hibernian Bible Society, the Sunday School Society, the

Evangelical Alliance The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a national evangelical alliance, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Founded in 1846, the activities of the Evangelical Alliance aim to promote evangelical Christian beliefs in government, media and socie ...

and the Protestant Orphan Society, and also conducted service in the private chapel at Tullymore Park, Castlewellan,

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...

, his chief residence in Ireland. He was an important leader in the Orange Order, eventually rising to the rank of Grand Master, and was described as a "diehard Unionist". However, in 1849 a clash took part between Orangeman and Roman Catholics at Dolly's Brae, near Castlewellan, in which several people were killed after he had invited the Orangemen onto his estate and addressed them, urging them to "do their duty as loyal, Protestant men". A commission was set up to examine the event, and severely criticised Roden for his conduct. As a result of this, he was removed from his position as a member of the Commission of the Peace.

Family

Lord Roden was twice married. He married firstly the Hon. Maria Frances Catherine (c. 1793 – 25 February 1861), daughter of Thomas Stapleton, 12th

Baron le Despencer Baron le Despencer is a title that has been created several times by writ in the Peerage of England. Creation Sir Hugh le Despenser I was a large landowner in Leicestershire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Rutland. He was appointed High ...

, on 9 January 1813. They had three sons and three daughters. * Lady Elizabeth Frances Charlotte Jocelyn (died 2 September 1884); married, firstly, on 25 January 1836,

Richard Wingfield, 6th Viscount Powerscourt Richard Wingfield, 6th Viscount Powerscourt (18 January 1815 – 11 August 1844), was a British peer and Conservative Party politician. Background Powerscourt was the son of Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt, and Frances Theodosia, d ...

, and had issue. She married, secondly, on 30 April 1846,

Frederick Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry Frederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry (1805–1872), styled Viscount Castlereagh from 1822 to 1854, was a British nobleman and Tory politician. He was briefly Vice-Chamberlain of the Household under Sir Robert Peel bet ...

, no issue. * Lady Frances Jocelyn (d. 12 May 1885); married

Charles Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough Charles Noel Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough (2 October 1781 – 10 June 1866), known as Charles Edwardes until 1798, as Charles Noel between 1798 and 1823 and as the Lord Barham between 1823 and 1841, was a British peer and Whig politician. Ear ...

, on 25 July 1833; has issue. She served as

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. They are ranked between the Mis ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. * Lady Maria Jocelyn (d. 17 March 1894); married on 11 June 1848 Hon. Charles Robert Weld Forester, son of Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester; no issue. *

Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn (20 February 1816 – 12 August 1854), was a British soldier and Conservative politician. Background Born at Carlton Gardens, London, Jocelyn was the eldest son and heir apparent of Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Ro ...

(20 February 1816 – 12 August 1854); married on 9 April 1841 Lady Frances Elizabeth Cowper, daughter of Peter Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper; had issue. Lord Jocelyn predeceased his father, and so Lord Jocelyn's eldest son,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, succeeded his grandfather to the earldom. However, as Robert died unmarried and without issue, the title next passed to his uncle. *

John Strange Jocelyn, 5th Earl of Roden John Strange Jocelyn, 5th Earl of Roden (5 June 1823 – 3 July 1897), was an Anglo-Irish soldier and representative peer. He was the son of Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden, and inherited the title after the death of his nephew Robert Jocelyn, 4 ...

(5 June 1823 – 3 July 1897); married 31 July 1851 Hon. Sophia Hobhouse, daughter of John

John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton, (27 June 1786 – 3 June 1869), known as Sir John Hobhouse, Bt, from 1831 to 1851, was an English politician and diarist. Early life Born at Redland near Bristol, Broughton was the eldest son of Sir ...

. The couple had one daughter, and so the earldom passed to William Henry Jocelyn, a grandson of the 2nd Earl of Roden and his second wife. * Hon. William Nassau Jocelyn (23 October 1832 – 11 November 1892); married Cecilia Mary Elliot on 11 October 1866; no issue. Lord Roden's eldest son,

, was also a politician, but predeceased his father. After Roden's first wife's death on 25 February 1861, he married secondly Clementina Janet, daughter of Thomas Andrews, of Greenknowes, and widow of Captain Robert Lushington Reilly, of

Scarva Scarva ( meaning "shallow place, rough ford") is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is at the boundary with County Armagh, which is marked by the Newry Canal. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 320. Scarva i ...

, on 16 August 1862. They had no children. In later life Lord Roden spent time in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland, to improve his health. He died there in March 1870, aged 81, and was succeeded in the earldom by his grandson

, son of the late Viscount Jocelyn. The Countess of Roden died on 9 July 1903.

References

External links

*
thePeerage.com: Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roden, Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of 1788 births 1870 deaths Robert Jocelyn Knights of St Patrick Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Jocelyn, Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn, Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn, Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn, Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn, Robert Jocelyn, Viscount UK MPs who inherited peerages UK MPs who were granted peerages Grand Masters of the Orange Order Earls of Roden Peers of the United Kingdom created by George IV