Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham
PC (Ire) (1723 – 7 October 1800),
styled The Honourable Barry Maxwell from 1756 to 1779, was an
Irish peer and politician. He succeeded as the 3rd
Baron Farnham in 1779, and was later created the 1st
Viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty.
In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...
Farnham in 1781 and, in 1785, he was further advanced in the
Peerage of Ireland
The peerage of Ireland consists of those Peerage, titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lordship of Ireland, Lord or Monarchy of Ireland, King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great B ...
as the 1st
Earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ...
of Farnham.
Background
He was the son of
John Maxwell, 1st Baron Farnham and Judith Barry.
[
]
Political career
He was Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas between 1741 and 1800, was called to the Irish Bar in 1748 and was appointed a Bencher in 1757. On his brother's death in November 1779, he succeeded as the 3rd Baron Farnham,[ inheriting the Farnham estate. He commissioned James Wyatt, one of the most fashionable architects of the time, to design a new house. These plans are now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Lord Farnham was created Viscount Farnham on 10 January 1781, Earl of Farnham on 22 June 1785, and became a Privy Councillor in Ireland on 6 June 1796. From 1756 to 1760 and again from 1768 to 1779, he sat in the Irish House of Commons for Cavan Borough. Between 1761 and 1768, he represented Armagh Borough.]
Family
He married twice, firstly in January 1757 to Margaret King, daughter of Robert King of Drewstown. They had the following children:[
* Grace Maxwell (died 19 June 1866); she married Sir Ralph St George, 7th Baronet (1758–1842)
* Elizabeth Maxwell, died unmarried in January 1782.
On his death, he was succeeded by his son John James.
]
Notes
References
*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. (),
Maxwell family genealogy, part 03
showing the Maxwell of Calderwood, Maxwell of Farnham (co. Cavan), and Maxwell of Finnebrogue families.
An examination into the principles contained in a pamphlet entitled The speech of lord Minto, with some remarks upon a pamphlet entitled Observations on that part of the speaker's speech which relates to trade
A pamphlet written by the Earl opposing the Act of Union 1800
External links
Cavan County Museum – The Farnham Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnham, Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of
1723 births
1800 deaths
Earls in the Peerage of Ireland
Irish MPs 1727–1760
Irish MPs 1761–1768
Irish MPs 1769–1776
Irish MPs 1776–1783
Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Cavan constituencies
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Armagh constituencies
3
Younger sons of barons