Sir Thomas Southwell, 1st Baronet, of Castle Mattress (died 7 December 1680) was a high sheriff of

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

under

the Protectorate The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, refers to the period from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659 during which England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and associated territories were joined together in the Com ...

Birth and origins

Thomas was probably born at Castle Matrix, near

Rathkeale Rathkeale () is a town in west County Limerick, in Ireland. It is 30 km (18 mi) southwest of Limerick city on the N21 road to Tralee, County Kerry, and lies on the River Deel. Rathkeale has a significant Irish Traveller population, and ...

, the fifth but only surviving son of Edmund Southwell and his wife Catherine Herbert. His father is called "Southwell of Castle Matrix". His grandfather, John Southwell of Barham, had come to Ireland from

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

during the reign of James I. His mother was a rich heiress, the only child of Garrett Herbert of

. Nothing seems to be known of the sisters he probably had.

Marriage and children

Sir Thomas Southwell married Elizabeth Starkey, daughter of William Starkey. She would survive him and die in September 1688. Thomas and Elizabeth had one son: # Richard Southwell, who married Elizabeth daughter of

Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin Murrough MacDermod O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin (September 1614 – 9 September 1673), was an Irish nobleman and soldier, who came from one of the most powerful families in Munster. Known as "''Murchadh na dTóiteán''" ("Murrough the Burner" ...

—and three daughters: # Garthruid, married John Piggot of Kilfinny as his first wife # Margaret, married ___ Piggott # Joan, married Sir William Oughtred Courtenay of Powderham in Devonshire, Baronet

Later life and death

Southwell served as

High Sheriff of Kerry The High Sheriff of Kerry was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Kerry, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kerry County Sheriff. The sheri ...

High Sheriff of Clare The High Sheriff of Clare was a High Sheriff title. Records show that the title was in existence from at least the late 16th century, though it is not used today in the modern Republic of Ireland. The title existed within County Clare in the west ...

, and

High Sheriff of County Limerick The High Sheriff of Limerick was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Limerick, Ireland from the 13th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Limerick County Sheriff. ...

in 1654 under

. On 4 August 1662 he was created 1st Baronet Southwell, of Castle Mattress in the

Baronetage of Ireland Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) James I of E ...

, by Charles II. The castle mentioned in the territorial designation stands on the left bank of the

River Deel The River Deel ( ga, An Daoil) is in County Cork and County Limerick, Ireland.Ordnance Survey of Ireland: Rivers and their Catchment Basins 1958 (Table of Reference) The river rises near Dromina in north County Cork and flows north into Count ...

, west of Rathkeale, and is also called Matrix or Matras. Sir Thomas Southwell died in December 1680 or in May 1681 and was buried in Rathkeale. His eldest son, the member of parliament Richard Southwell, predeceased him and he was succeeded by his grandson

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 ...

, later 1st Baron, as the 2nd Baronet Southwell.

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * – 1649 to 1664 * – Scotland and Ireland * * – Viscounts, barons * {{DEFAULTSORT:Southwell, Sir Thomas, 1st Baronet 1680 deaths 17th-century Anglo-Irish people Baronets in the Baronetage of Ireland High Sheriffs of Clare High Sheriffs of County Limerick High Sheriffs of Kerry Year of birth unknown People from Rathkeale