William St Lawrence, 12th Baron Howth (1628–1671) was an Irish nobleman of the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

period. He was an intelligent and popular man who would undoubtedly have played an influential role in Irish politics had it not been for his premature death. Though some sources refer to him as the nephew of the previous Baron, the weight of evidence is that he was the only surviving son of

Nicholas St Lawrence, 11th Baron Howth Nicholas St Lawrence, 11th Baron Howth (1597–1643) was an Anglo-Irish nobleman of the seventeenth century. The Lords of Howth for over a century had played a crucial role in Irish politics; but Nicholas, unlike many of his ancestors, preferred ...

and Jane Montgomery, only daughter of George Montgomery,

Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a ...

and his first wife Susan Steyning. He was born, probably in Colchester,

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, in 1628. The St Lawrence family had inherited estates near

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

from William's grandmother Elizabeth Wentworth of

Gosfield Hall Gosfield Hall is a country house in Gosfield, near Braintree in Essex, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The house was built in 1545 by Sir John Wentworth, a member of Cardinal Wolsey’s household, and hosted royal visits by Queen Eliz ...

, which presumably explains why he was sent to Colchester Grammar School, where he enrolled in 1639. His father died at the height of the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

; as he was a staunch

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

, his property had suffered considerably from attacks by the Parliamentary forces. William himself is said to have been left in peace after his father's death, despite serving briefly with the

forces. In 1660 he used his political influence to support 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 ...

, and was recommended to the King by

James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde Lieutenant-General James FitzThomas Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, KG, PC (19 October 1610 – 21 July 1688), was a statesman and soldier, known as Earl of Ormond from 1634 to 1642 and Marquess of Ormond from 1642 to 1661. Following the failur ...

as a military commander. He was appointed

Custos Rotulorum ''Custos rotulorum'' (; plural: ''custodes rotulorum''; Latin for "keeper of the rolls", ) is a civic post that is recognised in the United Kingdom (except Scotland) and in Jamaica. England, Wales and Northern Ireland The ''custos rotulorum'' is t ...

for Dublin in 1661, and sat 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 ...

on several committees, including the Committee for Grievances. In 1665 he is found acting in a judicial capacity at the general sessions in

Kilmainham Kilmainham (, meaning " St Maighneann's church") is a south inner suburb of Dublin, Ireland, south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre. It is in the city's Dublin 8 postal district. The area was once known as Kilmanum. History In th ...

. He was also on good terms with Ormond's successor as

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...

John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor and Viscount Bodmin (160617 July 1685), known as The Lord Robartes (or John, Lord Roberts) between 1634 and 1679, was a Cornish politician, who fought for the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War. ...

, and entertained him at

Howth Castle Howth Castle ( ) and estate lie just outside the village of Howth, County Dublin in Ireland, in the administration of Fingal County Council. The castle was the ancestral home of the line of the St Lawrence family (see: Earl of Howth) that had ...

in 1669. In 1671 he fell ill, and died in June. His last will, dated 14 May 1671, contains evidence of his wide circle of gifted friends including

Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory Vice-Admiral Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory, KG, PC, PC (Ire) (1634–1680) was an Irish soldier and politician. He was the eldest son of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond but predeceased his father and therefore never succeeded as duke. ...

(whom he appointed his children's guardian), John Keating, the future

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 ...

, and the leading physician Nicholas Henshaw. He was buried, by his own direction, in a new

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

in St. Mary's Church,

Howth Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes ...

. He married his cousin Elizabeth St Lawrence, widow of Colonel Fitzwilliam.Lodge and Archdall ''Peerage of Ireland'' Their children were: *

Thomas St Lawrence, 13th Baron Howth Thomas St Lawrence, 13th Baron Howth (1659–1727) was an Irish nobleman of the later Stuart and early Georgian era. Early life He was born in 1659, eldest son of William St Lawrence, 12th Baron Howth, and Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. He was only t ...

*Charles *Mary, who married Henry Montgomery, 3rd

Earl of Mount Alexander Earl of Mount Alexander was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1661 for Hugh Montgomery, 3rd Viscount Montgomery. He was the grandson of Hugh Montgomery, known as one of the "founding fathers" of the Ulster Scots, who was raised ...

*Sarah, who married Thomas Stepney *Martha, who married Hugh O'Neill, who became a judge.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howth, William St Lawrence, 12th Baron Members of the Irish House of Lords Nobility from Dublin (city) 1628 births 1671 deaths 17th-century Irish people Cavaliers Barons Howth People educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School