Richard St Lawrence, 7th Baron Howth (c. 1510–1558) was an
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...
nobleman
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
and
military commander
The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
of the
Tudor era
In England and Wales, the Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603, including the Elizabethan era during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England, which began with ...
.
Family
He was the second son of
Christopher St Lawrence, 5th Baron Howth and his wife Anne Bermingham. He succeeded to the title in 1549 on the death of his brother Edward, 6th Baron Howth, who had married Alison FitzLyon, daughter of James FitzLyon, but had outlived his only son. Richard married Lady Catherine FitzGerald, daughter of
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare
Gerard FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (1487 – 12 December 1534; Irish: ''Gearóid Óg Mac Gearailt'', meaning "Young Gerald FitzGerald"), was a leading figure in 16th-century Irish history. In 1513 he inherited the title of Earl of Kildar ...
by his second wife
Elizabeth Grey, and widow of Jenico Preston, 3rd
Viscount Gormanston
Viscount Gormanston is a noble title, created in 1478, held by the Anglo-Irish Preston family since the Middle Ages. The oldest vicomital title in the British Isles, Lord Gormanston is accorded the style of Premier Viscount of Ireland.
Desc ...
, but they had no children.
[Lodge, John, and Archdale, Mervyn: ''Peerage of Ireland''. Dublin 1789]
Career
Whereas his elder brother Edward is said to have left no mark on the history of his time,
[Ball, F. Elrington: ''History of Dublin'', 6 volumes. Alexander Thom and Co. Dublin 1902-1920] Richard was a political figure of considerable importance. He had some legal training, having entered
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...
in 1541. He was a
justice of the peace for
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 ...
and
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 sat on a Commission of
oyer and terminer
In English law, oyer and terminer (; a partial translation of the Anglo-French , which literally means 'to hear and to determine') was one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat. Apart from its Law French name, the commission was also ...
. He was also entrusted with the levying of
subsidies
A subsidy, subvention or government incentive is a type of government expenditure for individuals and households, as well as businesses with the aim of stabilizing the economy. It ensures that individuals and households are viable by having acce ...
. He enjoyed the confidence of the
English Crown
This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled himself king of the Anglo-Sax ...
and was on good terms with successive
Deputies
A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-nati ...
, including Sir
Edward Bellingham, Sir
James Croft
Sir James Croft PC (c.1518 – 4 September 1590) was an English politician, who was Lord Deputy of Ireland, and MP for Herefordshire in the Parliament of England.
Life
He was born the second but eldest surviving son of Sir Richard Croft of Cro ...
and
Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex
Thomas Radclyffe (or Ratclyffe), 3rd Earl of Sussex KG (c. 15259 June 1583), was Lord Deputy of Ireland during the Tudor period of English history, and a leading courtier during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Family
He was the eldest son of ...
.
He is chiefly remembered as a soldier, and he played a leading role in all the military expeditions of his time. His most famous campaign was against the
Scots at
Lecale
Lecale (, ) is a peninsula in the east of County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies between Strangford Lough and Dundrum Bay.
In the Middle Ages it was a district or ''túath'' in the Gaelic Irish kingdom of Ulaid, then became a county in the An ...
in present-day
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...
in 1551.
He defeated
Shane O'Neill in an engagement in 1553, and saw further action in 1555. In 1556 Sussex sent him on another expedition against the Scots, whom he defeated at
Glenarm
Glenarm () is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It is situated in the civil parish of Tickmac ...
in present-day
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...
. In 1558 in the absence of the
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 ...
, he was appointed one of the guardians of
the Pale
The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...
, and was credited with maintaining firm order there.
He died in
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
in the autumn of 1558, and was succeeded in the title by his brother
Christopher, 8th Baron Howth.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howth, Richard St Lawrence, 7th Baron
Irish generals
Nobility from Dublin (city)
1558 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
16th-century Anglo-Irish people
Barons Howth
Members of Lincoln's Inn
Military personnel from Dublin (city)
16th-century Irish military personnel