Richard Wingfield, 4th Viscount Powerscourt (29 October 1762 – 19 July 1809) was an Irish nobleman, landowner, and a prominent figure in Anglo-Irish society. As a member of the Irish Parliament he opposed the
1800 Act of Union
The Acts of Union 1800 were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in personal union) to create the United Kingdom of G ...
.
Biography
Richard Wingfield was born on 29 October 1762, the son of
Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt
Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (24 December 1730 – 8 August 1788) was an Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protest ...
, and Lady Amelia Stratford. He succeeded his father as the 4th Viscount Powerscourt on 8 August 1788, inheriting extensive lands in County Wicklow and the title of Baron Wingfield of Wingfield, County Wexford.
As the 4th Viscount, Richard sold the family’s Dublin townhouse,
Powerscourt House, to the government, which became the office of the Stamp Commissioners following the Act of Union in 1801.
Marriage and family
Richard Wingfield married twice:
On 30 June 1789, Wingfield married Lady Catherine Meade, the daughter of
John Meade, 1st Earl of Clanwilliam
John Meade, 1st Earl of Clanwilliam (21 April 1744 – 19 October 1800), was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish nobleman, known as Sir John Meade, 4th Baronet, until 1766. Elevated to the Peerage of Ireland, his debauchery and reckless spending l ...
, and Theodosia Magill. They had three children:
*
Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt
Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt (11 September 1790 – 9 August 1823) was an Anglo-Irish peer.
He was the son of Richard Wingfield, 4th Viscount Powerscourt and Lady Catherine Meade, daughter of John Meade, 1st Earl of Clanwilliam. ...
(11 September 1790 – 9 August 1823)
*Hon. John Wingfield (4 September 1791 – 18 May 1811)
*Rev. Hon. Edward Wingfield (20 November 1792 – 6 September 1825)
On 9 February 1796, he married Isabella Brownlow, daughter of Rt. Hon.
William Brownlow and Catherine Hall. They had three children:
*Hon. Catherine Wingfield (died 1835)
*Hon. Emily Wingfield (died 20 June 1837)
*Rev. Hon. William Wingfield (21 May 1799 – 13 March 1880)
Political career
In 1800, Richard Wingfield was one of only four Irish peers who opposed the Act of Union, which sought to unite the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Death
Richard Wingfield, 4th Viscount Powerscourt, died 19 July 1806.
[Jean Goodman and David Williamson, ''Debrett's Book of the Royal Engagement'' (London: Debrett's Peerage, 1986), p. 122.]
References
See also
*
Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate (), located in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying . The house, originally a 13th-century castle, was extensively altered durin ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powerscourt, Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount
1762 births
1809 deaths
High sheriffs of Wicklow
Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland