Carey Dillon, 5th Earl Of Roscommon
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Carey or Cary Dillon, 5th Earl of Roscommon, PC (Ire) (1627–1689) was an Irish nobleman and professional soldier of the seventeenth century. He held several court offices under King Charles II and his successor King James II. After the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...
he joined the
Williamite A Williamite was a follower of King William III of England (r. 1689–1702) who deposed King James II and VII in the Glorious Revolution. William, the Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, replaced James with the support of English Whigs. On ...
opposition to James and was in consequence attainted as a
traitor Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...
by James II's Irish Parliament in 1689. In that year he fought at the
Siege of Carrickfergus The siege of Carrickfergus took place in August 1689 when a force of Williamite troops under Marshal Schomberg landed and laid siege to the Jacobite garrison of Carrickfergus in Ireland. After a week the Jacobites surrendered, and were allo ...
shortly before his death in November of that year. In his younger days, he was a friend of
Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...
, who in his ''Diary'' followed with interest Dillon's abortive courtship of their mutual friend, the noted beauty Frances Butler. The couple did not marry; Carey later married Katherine Werden.


Birth and origins

Carey was born in 1627, a younger son of Robert Dillon by his third wife Anne Strode. At the time of his birth, his father was the heir apparent of James Dillon, 1st Earl of Roscommon and held the
courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...
of Baron Dillon of Kilkenny-West. His father would succeed as 2nd Earl in 1641. Some time before that date his father had conformed to the established religion. His father's family owned substantial lands in
Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
,
Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...
,
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...
and
Roscommon Roscommon (; ; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60 road (Ireland), N60, N61 road (Ireland), N61 and N63 road (Irelan ...
. The Dillons were
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
and descended from Sir Henry Dillon who came to Ireland with Prince John in 1185. Carey's mother was English and a Protestant, a daughter of Sir William Strode in England and widow of
Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott (1568–1622) was an English soldier in the Irish army. He fought in the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War and then in the suppression of O'Doherty's rebellion at the Siege of Tory Island. Birth and ...
in Ireland. Carey seems to have been the only child of his father's third marriage, but he had half-siblings from his father's earlier marriages and his mother's earlier marriage. His father's first marriage had been with Margaret Barry, daughter of David FitzDavid de Barry, grand-daughter of
David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the Kings of Israel and Judah, third king of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stel ...
and sister of David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore. His father's second marriage had been with Dorothy Hastings, fourth daughter of
George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon (1540 – 30 December 1604) was an English nobleman. He was a son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole, daughter of Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu and Jane Neville. He was a youn ...
and widow of Sir James Steuart. These four half-siblings are listed in his father's article. His mother's first marriage had been with Henry Folliott, 1st Baron Folliott. Carey's half-siblings from that side are listed in the article about his mother's first husband. Carey Dillon was a Protestant. His half-brother James, the 3rd Earl, was converted to the established religion by Archbishop Ussher.


Early life


Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford

In 1630; while Carey was a boy, his grandfather, his father and his eldest half-brother were staunch supporters of Thomas Wentworth, later Earl of Strafford, who was appointed
Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
in 1632. About 1635 Carey's half-brother James, later the 3rd Earl, married Strafford's sister Elizabeth. Their eldest son, the future 4th Earl of Roscommon, was named "Wentworth". Strafford, however, also had powerful enemies and was impeached by the English Parliament in November 1640 and after this failed, a bill of
attainder In English criminal law, attainder was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary titles, but ...
was brought against him, which was passed in May 1641 and signed by the king on 10 May. Strafford was executed on 12 May 1641 on Tower Hill. Carey's grandfather James died in March 1641 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Robert, Carey's father, as the 2nd Earl of Roscommon.


Irish War

The
Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and ...
broke out on 23 October 1641. The 2nd Earl of Roscommon died on 27 August 1642 in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. and was succeeded by his eldest son
James Dillon, 3rd Earl of Roscommon Sir James Dillon, 3rd Earl of Roscommon ( – 1649) was an Irish magnate and politician. He was born a Catholic but converted at a young age to the Church of Ireland. He supported Strafford during his term as governor of Ireland. In the Conf ...
, Carey's halfbrother. During the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
, both Dillon brothers were staunch Royalists: James, who died in 1649, was posthumously listed in Cromwell's
Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 The Act for the Settling of Ireland imposed penalties including death and land confiscation against Irish civilians and combatants after the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and subsequent unrest. British historian John Morrill wrote that the Act and a ...
as one of the leaders of the
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 gove ...
cause in Ireland who were excluded from
pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
, and thus liable to forfeiture of their estates. As a younger son with his livelihood to earn, in the war-torn Ireland of the 1640s and 1650s, a military career was an obvious choice for him: he was made a captain by the age of seventeen.


Pepys's Diary

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...
first mentions "Colonel Dillon" in his famous Great Diary in 1660. He evidently liked him, calling him "a very merry and witty companion". In the early 1660s one of Pepys's closest friends was a young
clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
called Daniel Butler (nicknamed "Monsieur l'Impertinent", apparently because he never stopped talking). He was probably, like Dillon, an Irishman. Shortly afterwards he went to Ireland, apparently at Dillon's urging. Pepys admired both of Butler's sisters, especially Frances (nicknamed "la belle Boteler"), whom he thought was one of the greatest beauties in London. Dillon courted Frances, and matters proceeded as far as an
engagement An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''f ...
, but this was broken off in 1662, apparently after a violent quarrel between Dillon and Frances's brother "Monsieur l'Impertinent", who complained of Dillon's "knavery" to him. In the summer of 1668 Dillon apparently renewed his proposal of marriage – Pepys saw him and Frances riding in a carriage together – but it seems that Frances declined his offer. It is not known whether Frances ever married. Although Samuel Pepys always called him "Colonel Dillon" in his diary, he was apparently only a lieutenant until 1684, when he became a major, and subsequently a colonel.


Howard Duel

Following the
Restoration of Charles II The Stuart Restoration was the reinstatement in May 1660 of the Stuart monarchy in Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland. It replaced the Commonwealth of England, established in January 164 ...
, Dillon entered politics, sitting in the
Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...
as MP for
Banagher Banagher ( or ) is a town in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located in the midlands, on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. The town had a population of 3,000 at the height of its ...
in the Parliament of 1661–1666. His career was almost ruined in 1662 when he acted as second to Colonel Thomas Howard (a younger brother of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle) in his notorious
duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...
with Henry Jermyn, 1st Baron Dover (Howard and Dover being rivals for the affections of the notoriously promiscuous Anna Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury). Howard left Lord Dover for dead, and Dillon killed Dover's second, Giles Rawlings, a Gentleman of the
Privy Purse The Privy Purse is the British sovereign's private income, mostly from the Duchy of Lancaster. This amounted to £20.1 million in net income for the year to 31 March 2018. Overview The Duchy is a landed estate of approximately 46,000 acres (20 ...
to the Duke of York. Dillon and Howard fled from London, but later returned to stand trial. As was usual in affairs of honour, they were both acquitted, as killing a man in a duel, although counted as murder in a court of law, was then generally regarded as being expected of a man who wished to preserve his honour.


Political career

This check to his career was temporary, and after 1670 his rise in Irish public life was rapid. He was sworn a member 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 1673, and also became Master of the Irish Mint, Commissary-General of the Horse of Ireland, Surveyor-General for Customs and Excise in Ireland, and a Governor of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.''Pepys's Diary'' Companion p. 92 In 1685, on the death of his nephew, the
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon (1637–1685), was an Anglo-Irish soldier and poet. Birth and origins Wentworth was born in October 1637 in Dublin, probably in St George's Lane. He was the only son of James Di ...
, he succeeded as the 5th Earl of Roscommon.


Kilkenny affair

The following year Lord Roscommon, as he was now, clashed bitterly with
Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, ( – 14 August 1691) was an Irish politician, courtier and soldier. Talbot's early career was spent as a cavalryman in the Irish Confederate Wars. Following a period on the Continent, he joined the court ...
, the rising
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Royal favourite Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roy ...
. Tyrconnell, as Lieutenant-General of the
Irish Army The Irish Army () is the land component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. ...
, had removed all the
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
officers of the regiment stationed at
Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
. Roscommon, with it seems considerable justification, challenged his legal right to do so, and when the matter came before the
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 K ...
, Lord Clarendon, Roscommon called Tyrconnell a liar to his face: this was a shrewd blow since Tyrconnell had the unfortunate nickname "Lying Dick Talbot". The "Kilkenny affair" caused something of a furore in Ireland, but did not damage Tyrconnell's standing at the English Court.


Marriage and children

He married Katherine Werden (died 1683), daughter of John Werden (died 1646) of
Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
and Katherine Dutton, daughter of Edward Dutton, and sister of Lieutenant-General Robert Werden. Carey and Katherine had a son: #Robert (died 1715), who succeeded him as the 6th Earl of Roscommon, and is said to still have been a young child when his father died —and two daughters: #Anne, who married Sir Thomas Nugent in about 1675 #Catherine (died 1674), who married Hugh Montgomery, 2nd
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 ...
The sisters were so many years older than their brother that it is possible they were children of an earlier marriage. If so, their mother must have died before 1660, since it is clear from the
Diary of Samuel Pepys A diary is a written or audiovisual memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital ...
that Dillon was free to marry between 1660 and 1668.


Williamite

Having served the
Stuart dynasty The House of Stuart, originally spelled Stewart, also known as the Stuart dynasty, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been hel ...
with notable loyalty both during the Civil War and after the Restoration, Lord Roscommon, like many of the Irish
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
ruling class, changed sides after the downfall and flight to France of James II in 1688.328, footnote
/> Roscommon and the majority of his fellow peers were opposed to James's pro-Catholic policy, and were appalled at the mishandling of the economy by Tyrconnell, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, with whom Roscommon had a bitter personal
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
as well. When James, in 1689, attempted to reconquer England by occupying Ireland, Roscommon offered his services to King
William III of England William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
. He was commissioned to raise a regiment on William's behalf. He was attainted for treason by the
Patriot Parliament Patriot Parliament is the name commonly used for the Irish Parliament session called by King James II during the Williamite War in Ireland which lasted from 1688 to 1691. The first since 1666, it held only one session, which lasted from 7 May ...
, which was held in Dublin from 7 May to 20 July 1689. He was present at the
Siege of Carrickfergus The siege of Carrickfergus took place in August 1689 when a force of Williamite troops under Marshal Schomberg landed and laid siege to the Jacobite garrison of Carrickfergus in Ireland. After a week the Jacobites surrendered, and were allo ...
, which was defended by Charles MacCarthy More. The surrender of the town and castle on 28 August 1689, was the crucial first step in William's campaign to wrest control of Ireland from James II during the
Williamite War in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland took place from March 1689 to October 1691. Fought between Jacobitism, Jacobite supporters of James II of England, James II and those of his successor, William III of England, William III, it resulted in a Williamit ...
.


Death and timeline

He left Ireland and died on 25 November 1689 in
Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
.


Notes and references


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * – 1660 to 1690 * * – Ibbetson to Zouche (for Roscommon) * – (for Dillon of Roscommon) * – (for Charles I) * – N to R (for Roscommon) * – (for the duel) * – (for timeline) * * – (for MP) * * (for his father's 1st wife, Margaret Barry) * * – 1 April 1661 to 31 December 1662 (for the duel) * – 1 May 1668 to 31 May 1669 (for Frances Butler) * – 1643 to 1685 * – 1641 to 1643 * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roscommon, Carey Dillon, 5th Earl of 1627 births 1689 deaths Earls of Roscommon Dillon, Carey Dillon, Carey Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Williamite military personnel of the Williamite War in Ireland