Hercules Langford Rowley PC ( – 25 March 1794) was an Irish politician and landowner.

Early life

Rowley was born . He was the only son of Frances (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...

Upton) Rowley and Hercules Rowley, a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

for

County Londonderry County Londonderry (Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulste ...

from 1703 until his death in 1742. His sister, Dorothy Beresford Rowley, was the wife of

Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt, PC ({{circa1550 – 9 September 1634){{sfn, Dunlop, Barry, 2004 was an English-born army officer and military administrator during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.{{sfn, Dunlop, Barry, 2004 He is ...

(parents of

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

and

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

, the 2nd and 3rd Viscounts Powerscourt). His father was the only son of Sir John Rowley (who was knighted for his services at the time 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 ...

) and the former Mary Langford (eldest daughter and heiress of Sir Hercules Langford, 1st Baronet). In 1661, his great-grandfather Langford bought Lynch's Castle (located on the Sumerhill

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...

) and many other townlands from The Rt Rev. Dr. Henry Jones, the Lord Bishop of Meath. Among his extended family were aunts Anne Rowley (wife of Sir Tristram Beresford, 1st Baronet), and Mary Rowley (wife of James Clotworthy). Another family member, Lettice Rowley, was the wife of

Arthur Loftus, 3rd Viscount Loftus Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

. His maternal grandfather was Arthur Upton of

Castle Upton Castle Upton is situated in the village of Templepatrick, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is around north-west of Belfast. Originally the site of a 13th-century fortified priory of the Knights of St John, the present building was constr ...

in County Antrium. Through his aunt Anne, he was a first cousin of Sir Randal Beresford, 2nd Baronet and through his aunt Mary, he was a first cousin of Mary Clotworthy (who married the Hon. Robert Fitzgerald, a son of

George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare (23 January 1612 – 29 May 1660) was known as the "Fairy Earl", apparently for no other reason than that his portrait, which is extant, was painted on a small scale." Biography FitzGerald was the son of T ...

, and was the mother of

Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare PC (Ire) (4 May 1675 – 20 February 1743), known as Robert FitzGerald until 1707, was an Irish peer. Background Kildare was the son of the Hon. Robert FitzGerald, younger son of George FitzGerald, 16th E ...

and grandmother of Lt.-Gen.

James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, PC (Ire) (29 May 1722 – 19 November 1773), styled Lord Offaly until 1743 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1743 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 17 ...

Career

He held the office of High Sheriff of County Meath in 1738. He held the office of

for

between 1743 and 1760. From 1761 to 1794, he was a Member of Parliament for

. He was appointed a member of the

Irish Privy Council 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 ...

. On 19 February 1766, his wife was created Viscountess Langford of Langford Lodge in the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divi ...

. She was made Baroness Summerhill at the same time, also in the Peerage of Ireland. She was succeeded by her son, the second Viscount. Rowley inherited his father's estates, including Lynch's Castle, which had been occupied by the Langfords since 1661. In 1731, Rowley hired architects Sir

Edward Lovett Pearce Sir Edward Lovett Pearce (1699 – 7 December 1733) was an Irish architect, and the chief exponent of Palladianism in Ireland. He is thought to have initially studied as an architect under his father's first cousin, Sir John Vanbrugh. He is ...

and

Richard Cassels Richard Cassels (1690 – 1751), also known as Richard Castle, was an architect who ranks with Edward Lovett Pearce as one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. Cassels was born in 1690 in Kassel, Germany. Alth ...

to build him a new Georgian mansion on the property, known as Summerhill House. Lynch's Castle was abandoned in the 1730s but remained on the land as a

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

. Summerhill House was damaged by fire on a number of occasions before it was set on fire by the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief t ...

and completely destroyed in early 1921, remaining a ruin until it was totally demolished in 1970. In 1743, upon entering parliament, Rowley purchased a large house on then fashionable Mary Street in the North of Dublin city. The house was later to become known as

Langford House , motto_English = Not what you have, but who you are , scarf = , established = 1904 , principal = Margaret Masson , senior_tutor = Eleanor Spencer-Regan , undergraduates = 409 , postgraduates = 150 , website = , coordinates = , location_map ...

and was an imposing 5-bay, four-storey over basement structure.

Personal life

On 31 October 1732, he was married to Elizabeth Ormsby Upton (1713–1791), the only daughter of Clotworthy Upton (MP for the borough of Newton and

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

) and Jane Ormsby (daughter of John Ormsby MP for

Kilmallock Kilmallock () is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King's Castle (or King John's Castle). The remains of medieval walls which encircled the settlement are sti ...

). Together, they lived at

Summerhill, County Meath Summerhill () is a heritage village in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the south of the county, between Trim and Kilcock on the R158 and west of Dunboyne on the R156. It is the site of one of the most important battles in 17th centur ...

, and were the parents of: * Hon. Jane Rowley (–1818), who married Thomas Taylour (1724–1795), eldest son of Sir Thomas Taylor, 2nd Baronet, in 1754. Successively, she became the Baroness Headford in 1760, Viscountess Headfort in 1762, and Countess of Bective in 1766 as her husband was increasingly elevated in the

peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divi ...

. *

Hercules Rowley, 2nd Viscount Langford Hercules Rowley, 2nd Viscount Langford (29 October 1737 – 24 March 1796), styled The Honourable Hercules Rowley between 1766 and 1791, was an Irish politician. Rowley was the son of Hercules Rowley and Elizabeth Upton, 1st Viscountess Langfor ...

(1737–1796) a member of the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fr ...

for

and

Downpatrick Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Its cathedral is said to be th ...

. He died unmarried in March 1796. * Maj. Hon. Clotworthy Rowley (1740–1781), who married Elizabeth Crosbie, daughter of

William Francis Crosbie William Francis Crosbie (died 11 September 1768) was an Irish Member of Parliament. In 1750, he married Frances Wesley, daughter of Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington, and in 1758 he was elected to succeed his brother-in-law Garret Wesley, 2 ...

, MP for Trim and Hon. Frances Wesley (a daughter of

Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington Richard Colley Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington ( – 31 January 1758) was an Irish peer, best remembered as the grandfather of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Biography Richard Colley (as he was christened) was born around 1690, the son ...

), in 1775. * Hon. Catherine Rowley (1748–1816), who married

Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford Edward Michael Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford (1 April 1743 – 3 June 1792) was an Kingdom of Ireland, Irish sailor and landowner. Early life Pakenham was the son of Thomas Pakenham, 1st Baron Longford and Elizabeth Cuffe, 1st Countess of Longfor ...

, son of

Thomas Pakenham, 1st Baron Longford Thomas Pakenham, 1st Baron Longford (May 1713 – 30 April 1766) was an Irish peer and politician. Early life He was born in May 1713 at Pakenham Hall, County Westmeath, Ireland, eldest son of Edward Pakenham and Margaret Bradestan. His mat ...

and Elizabeth Cuffe, 1st Countess of Longford. They resided at

Pakenham Hall Castle Tullynally Castle, also known as Pakenham Hall, is a country house situated some 2 km from Castlepollard on the Coole, County Westmeath, Coole village road in County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Gothic-style building has ...

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

. * Arthur Rowley, who died unmarried. His wife died in 1791 and was succeeded in her titles by their eldest son,

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted th ...

. Rowley died on 25 March 1794 at Langford House in Dublin.

Descendants and legacy

The Viscountcy became extinct in 1796 on the death of their son Hercules. The Rowley estates were inherited by his grandson, Clotworthy Taylour, the fourth son of his eldest daughter, the former Jane Rowley, and her husband, Thomas Taylor, 1st Earl of Bective. Clotworthy assumed, by Royal licence, the surname of Rowley in 1796 and, in 1800, the Langford title was revived when he was raised to the

as Baron Langford. In 1794, Clotworthy married his first cousin, Frances Rowley (–1860), the daughter of Clotworthy Rowley and his wife, Elizbaeth Crosbie. Through his daughter Jane, he was also a grandfather of

Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort (18 November 1757 – 24 October 1829), styled Viscount Headford from 1766 to 1795, and known as The Earl of Bective from 1795 to 1800, was an Irish peer and politician. Early life Taylour was born on 1 ...

(1757–1829), who married Mary Quin (a granddaughter of

Sir Henry Cavendish, 1st Baronet Sir Henry Cavendish, 1st Baronet (13 April 1707 – 31 May 1776) was a British politician who held several appointments in the Kingdom of Ireland. Biography Cavendish was the son of William Cavendish and Mary Tyrell. He was descended from Sir W ...

); Major Hon. Hercules Taylour (1759–1790), an MP died unmarried; and Gen. Hon.

Robert Taylour Robert Taylour was an Anglican priest in Ireland in the first half of the eighteenth century. Taylour was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He was Archdeacon of Kilmacduagh from 1714 to 1726; and Dean of Clonfert The Dean of Killaloe is ba ...

(1760–1839), also an MP who died unmarried; the Rev. Hon. Henry Edward Taylour (1768–1852), who married a granddaughter of the 1st Viscount Doneraile); and Lady Henrietta Taylour (d. 1838), who married Chambré Brabazon Ponsonby-Barker MP (son of

Chambré Brabazon Ponsonby Chambré Brabazon Ponsonby (1720 – 20 February 1762) was an Irish Member of Parliament. He was the son of Major-General Henry Ponsonby by his wife Lady Frances, daughter of Chambré Brabazon, 5th Earl of Meath. His paternal grandfather was W ...

). Through his daughter Catherine, he was a grandfather of Catherine Pakenham (1773–1831) (who married

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...

Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford, (14 May 1774 – 28 May 1835), known as The Lord Longford between 1792 and 1794, was an Anglo-Irish peer. Background Pakenham was the eldest son of Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford, by Catherine Rowley ...

(1774–1835), Gen.

Sir Edward Pakenham Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, (19 March 1778 – 8 January 1815), was a British Army officer and politician. He was the son of the Baron Longford and the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he served in the Peni ...

(1778–1815), and Lt.-Gen. Sir Hercules Robert Pakenham (1781–1850) ('' aide-de-camp'' to

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded ...

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowley, Hercules Langford 1714 births 1794 deaths Politicians from County Meath Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Irish MPs 1727–1760 Irish MPs 1761–1768 Irish MPs 1769–1776 Irish MPs 1776–1783 Irish MPs 1783–1790 Irish MPs 1790–1797 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Meath constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Londonderry constituencies