Richard Nugent, 2nd Earl Of Westmeath
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Richard Nugent, 2nd Earl of Westmeath (1621/23 – 25 February 1684) was an Irish nobleman.


Life

He was the grandson of Richard Nugent, 1st Earl of Westmeath and Jenet Plunkett. Nugent's father, Christopher, Lord Delvin, had predeceased the first Earl, meaning that Richard Nugent succeeded to the earldom on his grandfather's death in 1641. His mother was Lady Anne MacDonnell, daughter of
Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim Randall MacSorley MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim, PC (Ire) (died 10 December 1636), rebelled together with Tyrone and Tyrconnell in the Nine Years' War but having succeeded his brother, Sir James mac Sorley MacDonnell, as Lord of the Route a ...
and his wife Ellis (or Alice) O'Neill, daughter of
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (; – 20 July 1616) was an Irish lord and key figure of the Nine Years' War. Known as the "Great Earl", he led the confederacy of Irish lords against the English Crown in resistance to the Tudor conquest of Ir ...
and his fourth wife Catherine Magennis. Before 1641 he married his kinswoman, Mary Nugent (widow of Christopher Plunkett, who was a younger son of Christopher Plunkett, 8th
Baron of Dunsany The title Baron of Dunsany or, more commonly, Lord Dunsany, is one of the oldest (1439 or 1461/2) dignities in the Peerage of Ireland, one of just a handful of 13th- to 15th-century titles still extant, having had 21 holders, of the Plunkett nam ...
), and daughter of Sir Thomas Nugent, 1st Baronet of Moyrath and his wife Alison Barnewall, daughter of Robert Barnewall of Robertstown,
County 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 ...
. While attempting to make his way back to Ireland in December 1641 upon the outbreak of the
1641 Rebellion The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in 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 return of confiscat ...
, Nugent was arrested on suspicion of complicity in the uprising. He subsequently served as
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
commander during the
Irish Confederate Wars The Irish Confederate Wars, took place from 1641 to 1653. It was the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of civil wars in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, all then ...
, seeing action at the
Battle of Dungan's Hill The Battle of Dungan's Hill took place in County Meath, in eastern Ireland on 8 August 1647. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English Parliament during the Irish Confederate Wars. The Irish army was intercep ...
in August 1647, where he was captured. He later served as General of the Forces of
Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
from 1650 to 1652. His conduct as a military leader was severely criticised by his own side: he was called a general who had never put an army in the field, nor gained the support of anyone who could perform an action worth sixpence. During
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
's campaign in Ireland,
Clonyn Castle Clonyn Castle also known as Delvin Castle, is a Victorian country house situated in Delvin, County Westmeath, Ireland some 18 km from Mullingar along the N52. It is a square, symmetrical, two-storey castle-like building of cut limestone ...
, the main Nugent residence, was burnt: according to one account Lord Westmeath burnt it himself to prevent it falling into his enemy's hands. He submitted to the Parliamentary forces in the latter year but was excluded from the
Act of Settlement 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 ...
and transplanted to
Connaught Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine ...
, despite his rather abject pleas to be allowed to remain, and protestations of loyalty to the new regime. After 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 ...
, he received a large pension as a reward for his loyalty to the Crown, which, in accordance with the general policy of Indemnity and Oblivion, was prepared to overlook his later subservience to Cromwell. He took no further part in public affairs.


Family

Richard and Mary Nugent had the following issue: * Christopher Nugent, Lord Delvin, married Mary Butler, died before 1680, leaving issue * Lady Anne Nugent, married firstly Lucas Dillon, 6th Viscount Dillon, and secondly Sir William Talbot, 3rd Baronet, and died after 14 Jul 1710. She had no issue by either marriage *
Thomas Nugent, 1st Baron Nugent of Riverston Thomas Nugent (died May 1715) was an Irish Roman Catholic barrister who became Lord Chief Justice of Ireland under James II of Great Britain, and held a 1689 title as Baron Nugent of Riverston (of complex legal status). Early life He was the sec ...
,
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 ...
, died 2 Apr 1715, ancestor of the present Earl of Westmeath * Lady Mary Nugent b. 21 Feb 1648, married Henry Barnewall, 2nd Viscount Barnewall of Kingsland, and died 25 Jun 1680 * William Nugent, MP for
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 ...
(died 1690) * Lady Alison Nugent, married Henry Dowdall of Brownstown,
County 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 ...
* Lady Jane Nugent, married Brigadier-General Alexander MacDonnell of
County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...
in 1685. He was succeeded by his grandson,
Richard Nugent, 3rd Earl of Westmeath Richard Nugent, 3rd Earl of Westmeath, born before 1669, died April 1714, was an Irish peer and Roman Catholic monk. Nugent was the eldest son of Christopher Nugent, Lord Delvin and Mary Butler (a daughter of Colonel Hon. Richard Butler and La ...
, eldest son of Christopher, Lord Delvin. The third Earl was a
monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
who spent most of his adult life in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and on his death, the title passed to his two younger brothers, Thomas and John, in turn.


External links

* http://thepeerage.com/p37091.htm#i370910 {{DEFAULTSORT:Westmeath, Richard Nugent, 2nd Earl of 17th-century Irish politicians Irish soldiers in the Irish Confederate Wars 1684 deaths People from County Westmeath Year of birth uncertain Earls of Westmeath