William Caulfeild, 1st Viscount Charlemont PC (Ire) (1624 – April 1671) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

politician and peer.

Background

Born in

Donamon Castle Donamon, or more correctly, Dunamon Castle ( ga, Dún Iomáin) is one of the oldest inhabited buildings in Ireland and stands on raised ground overlooking the River Suck in County Roscommon. There was a fort here from early times (hence the name ...

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 ...

, he was the third son of

William Caulfeild, 2nd Baron Caulfeild William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...

and his wife Mary King, daughter of Sir John King and Catherine Drury. His two older brothers

Toby Caulfeild, 3rd Baron Caulfeild Toby Caulfeild, 3rd Baron Caulfeild of Charlemont (1621–1642) was an Anglo-Irish politician. Life He was the eldest son of William Caulfeild, 2nd Baron Caulfeild, and Mary, daughter of Sir John King (died 1637), John King, knight (ancestor to t ...

and Robert Caulfeild, 4th Baron Caulfeild died both without male issue and he succeeded to the barony on the latter's death in 1644.

Career

Having been first a leading Parliamentarian under

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 ...

, he captured Sir Phelim O'Neil in 1653 and executed him for rebellion and the murder of his brother Toby and his family. In 1660, Caulfeild switched his allegiance and supported afterwards

King Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of King of England, England, Scotland and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II ...

, captaining a troop of horse. After the

English Restoration 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 took his seat in 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 ...

and was sworn of the

Privy Council of Ireland His or Her Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland, commonly called the Privy Council of Ireland, Irish Privy Council, or in earlier centuries the Irish Council, was the institution within the Dublin Castle administration which exercised formal executi ...

. In 1661, Caulfeild was appointed

Custos Rotulorum of County Armagh The Custos Rotulorum of County Armagh was the highest civil officer in County Armagh, Ireland. The position was later combined with that of Lord Lieutenant of Armagh. Incumbents *1661–1671 William Caulfeild, 1st Viscount Charlemont (also Custo ...

and

Custos Rotulorum of Tyrone The Custos Rotulorum of Tyrone was the highest civil officer in County Tyrone, Ireland. The position was later combined with that of Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone. Incumbents *1661–1671 William Caulfeild, 1st Viscount Charlemont (also Custos Rotul ...

, holding both offices until his death in 1671. He was rewarded the governorship of Fort Charlemont for life in July of the same year, however sold this office to

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

three years later. On 8 October 1665, he was created Viscount Charlemont, in the County of

Armagh Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...

Family

In 1653, he married Hon. Sarah Moore, second daughter of Charles Moore, 2nd Viscount Moore of Drogheda and Alice Loftus and had by her four sons and three daughters. She was the sister-of-law to Caulfeild's younger brother Thomas. Caulfeild died in April 1671 and was buried at St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh on 25 May. His wife survived him until 1712. He was succeeded in his titles by his second and oldest surviving son

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

. A younger son Toby produced several notable descendants, including his grandson

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

Archdeacon of Kilmore The Archdeacon of Kilmore is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. The archdeaconry can trace its history from Maelisa Mac Gillco Erain, the first known incumbent, who died in 1199 to the current in ...

and John's son, General James Caulfeild. His daughter Mary was the second wife of

William Blayney, 6th Baron Blayney William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...

and his daughter Alice married firstly John, son of

James Margetson James Margetson (1600 – 26 August 1678) was an English churchman, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh from 1663 till 1678. Life James Margetson was a native of Drighlington in Yorkshire. He was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and retur ...

and secondly

George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter Lieutenant-General George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter of Killaghy, 10 February 1657 to 10 February 1731, was a member of the landed gentry from Herefordshire and career soldier in the British Army. He served as Commander-in-Chief, Scotland fr ...

. Caulfeild's youngest son

sat 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 ...

Memorial

There is a memorial on the west wall of the north transept of St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh."Funary Monuments & Memorials in St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh" Curl, J.S. pp95-98: Whitstable; Historical Publications; 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlemont, William Caulfeild, 1st Visount 1624 births 1671 deaths 17th-century Irish people

People from County Roscommon People from County Armagh Irish soldiers Cavaliers Roundheads Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Viscounts Charlemont Younger sons of barons