Lord High Steward of Ireland
Encyclopedia
The Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary Great Officer of State in Ireland, sometimes known as the Hereditary Great Seneschal. The Earls of Shrewsbury (Earls of Waterford in the Peerage of Ireland
) have held the office since the 15th century.
The 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
was created Earl of Waterford and Lord High Steward of Ireland on 17 July 1446 by letters patent
of King Henry VI
. The current Lord High Steward is his heir, the 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury
.
for the Coronation
in 1911. It is considered the first of the great offices of state, and supreme judge in parliament. As such, that Lord High Steward (of England) walks in front of the new Sovereign, carrying the Crown of St. Edward, on a velvet cushion. He wears robes of white satin and gold under-garment, with a long red mantle and ermine tippet.
In Scotland, the Lord High Steward of Scotland, is the Prince of Scotland
, as Duke of Rothesay
, who is also currently the Prince of Wales
and Duke of Cornwall
. Given this Prince’s other responsibilities, at the last two Coronations, the Earl of Crawford
was appointed as deputy to officiate in his stead.
In Ireland, the Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary position, vested historically in the Earl of Shrewsbury
, but in other respects largely analogous to that of England, as determined by the Attorney-General in 1862. The historical background to that was the office of the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal of Ireland granted to Sir Bertram de Verdun
by King Henry II
. Lynch devotes a detailed section of his book on feudal dignities to this office and hereditary title, and to its descent.
, i.e., heritable. Examples include certain royal offices, such as the Lord High Steward of Ireland. The holder may have an estate in them, unto him and his heirs. Other offices may be for life or for a term of years. In his work, Lynch devotes a chapter to such incorporeal hereditaments as “Honorary Hereditary Officers”. He describes the dignity of Lord Constable conferred on Hugh de Lacy by original grant in 1185 of Meath. The Lord Constable of Ireland, originally vested with lands to which it was incident or annexed, and which descended through Walter’s son Gilbert de Lacy to John de Verdun (ex jure uxoris Margaret) by virtue of his moiety of Meath (the other moiety descending to Geoffrey de Genneville, ex jure uxoris Matilda). By 1460, the lands to which it had been incident vested in Lord Theobald de Verdun’s co-heirs in 1460, and, according to Lynch, the exercise of the office fell into desuetude.
However, it can be seen elsewhere that the Lord High Stewardship continued to be inherited by the Earls of Shrewsbury. In Letters of Appointment dated 27 August in the 28th year of King Henry VI
, the first Earl of Shrewsbury who was also the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal of Ireland, appointed John Penyngton to be Steward of the Liberty of Waterford
, and in such appointment, the Earl is described as “Senescallus ac Constabularius Hiberniae” . Further examples continue such as the case of the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, confirmed in an inquisition later in 1624 , and recalled in a Case before the House of Lords in 1862, dealing with the Lord High Stewardship of Ireland. Such appointments by the Lords Shrewsbury of Stewards of Counties in Ireland were upheld by the House of Lords as proof of the exercise of the prerogatives of the Lord High Steward of Ireland . Furthermore, it was in his inherited capacity as Lord High Steward of Ireland that the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot, assisted at the coronation of King Henry VII
in 1485. The 12th Earl, in the same capacity as Lord High Steward of Ireland, assisted at the coronation of King James II
in 1685. In both of these cases, the Lord High Steward carried the Curtana
.
, no English Monarch (except King James II
and King William III
during the civil war of 1690-2) was in Ireland until the visit of King George IV
in 1821. There was therefore during that period few if any occasion where the Earls of Shrewsbury could have exercised the duties of their office as Lords High Stewards of Ireland, about the person of the Sovereign.
As the Earls of Shrewsbury were at one time Roman Catholics, prior to Catholic Emancipation
in Ireland, in 1829, they were prevented from effectively performing the judicial role of Lord High Steward. Hence, for example, in 1739, Thomas Baron Wyndham of Finglass, was eight times one of the Lord Justices of Ireland, and officiated as Lord High Steward of Ireland in the trial of Baron Barry of Santry for murder and treason, being the first trial of a Lord by his Peers in the Kingdom of Ireland
. Baron Wyndham of Finglass surrendered the offices of Lord Justice at his own request in 1739 on account of his ill-health.
The next trial of a peer was that of Nicholas, 5th Viscount Netterville, for murder in 1743, when Lord Jocelyn (Lord Chancellor) presided as the acting Lord High Steward. The same ceremonials as for the trial of Lord Santry were used, but the case collapsed when the two principal witnesses died. When the assembled peers judged Lord Santry
therefore not guilty, the Lord High Steward broke the white wand and adjourned the House.
The third case of a trial of a peer in Ireland by his peers was the trial of Robert, 2nd Earl of Kingston
, in May 1798, for the murder of a Henry Gerald Fitzgerald, the illegitimate son of his brother-in-law. In the absence of witnesses for the prosecution, he was found not guilty, and the Lord High Steward thereupon broke his wand of office. On that occasion, the duties of the Lord High Steward were discharged by John FitzGibbon, the 1st Earl of Clare
, who was also the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
.
. Recognising the Earl’s claim to the Lord High Stewardship, King William IV was pleased to respond to his petition and grant to the Earl the privileges inherent in the Lord High Stewardship, namely wearing the court uniform, and having access to the King’s levées by means of the private entrée, and of using the same upon other customary occasions.
The same continuity of lineal succession and right was also upheld in the case of the Chief Serjeantcy of Ireland, when it was found that neither a period of adverse possession
, nor "nonusor nor mysusor" was held valid against the legitimate and upheld claim of the lineal heir, Walter Cruise, of the first grantee, centuries later, as decreed and adjudged on the 13 November in the fifth year of the reign of King Edward VI
, and as recorded in Lynch’s “Feudal Dignities”.
Hence, the Earl of Shrewsbury subsequently took his place, as Lord High Steward of Ireland, amongst the High Officers of State at the funeral of King William IV, when Queen Victoria
also appointed him to carry the Banner of Ireland. Subsequently his precedence over the Dukes of England as Hereditary Lord High Steward of Ireland, was established in the Table of Precedency prepared in the Herald’s Office and approved by Earl de Grey
in his capacity as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 1843; and similarly by the Earl of Eglington as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 1858.
On 1 August 1862, the House of Lords
made an Order . to confirm the right of the then Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, and Earl Talbot, Henry John, to the Office of Lord High Steward of Ireland.
as a Knight of Saint Patrick at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
on 18 April 1868. On 15 September 1871, Queen Victoria granted to Charles John Chetwynd-Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, etc. “that he and the heirs male of his body, being Lords High Steward of Ireland, may carry a white wand
when appearing officially in Ireland and when attending State ceremonials, and be placed at such ceremonies according to the Office of the Lord High Steward of Ireland ”.
Accordingly and subsequently, a white wand
was used at the Coronations of subsequent Kings Edward VII in 1902 and King George V
in 1911, and a later Earl, John George Charles Henry Alton Alexander Chetwynd-Talbot carried a white wand at the Coronation of King George VI
in 1937.
The significance of the white wand can be found in its representation of the supreme judicial functions of the Lord High Steward, having been used by Baron Wyndham of Finglass in his interim capacity as acting Lord High Steward for the trial of Baron Barry of Santry
. On that occasion the customary Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod bore a white one, instead of black, for the Lord High Steward. Lord Santry was pardoned, and fled to Italy where he died.
Therein lies the significance of the white wand: it is a rod of office and the commission appointing a temporary Lord High Steward is dissolved according to custom by breaking the rod. This is also the customary practice for the Lord High Steward when operative in England (not being hereditary) . However, the Earl of Shrewsbury, holding the Lord High Stewardship on a hereditary basis, can retain the rod, and hence Queen Victoria’s authorisation that it be used at State ceremonials.
The white wand
(or slat bhan) is also significant in the Gaelic/Brehon tradition of the inauguration of ancient Irish Kings. This is keenly observed in the inauguration of the O’Donnell, Prince of Tyrconnell. The significance of the white wand was described by Geoffrey Keating: It was the chronicler’s function to place a wand in the hand of each lord [or king] on his inauguration; and on presenting the wand he made it known to the populace that the lord or king need not take up arms thenceforth to keep his country in subjection, but that they should obey his wand as a scholar obeys his master. For, as the wise scholar obeys and is grateful to his master, in the same way subjects are bound to their kings, for it is with the wand of equity and justice he directs his subjects, and not with the edge of the weapon of injustice.
Equally, in the Baronage of Scotland, the wand of officers of a Barony is also a white wand, associated with Chiefship, and originally with the scepter of the Scottish King (or Ard-Righ), indicating also that the Scottish feudal baron is also a chef de famille, who reigns within his circle .
A glimpse of the historic roles of Lords Stewards or Seneschals can be obtained from the case of the inauguration of the O'Neill
as Prince at Tullahoge. The O'Cahan would cast a gold sandal over the head of the O'Neill Prince elect, while the O'Hagan, Baron of Tullahoge, who was O'Neill’s steward and justiciary for Tyrone, would present a straight wand, and then fasten the sandal to the Prince’s foot .
The Lord High Steward has also been known as the Great Seneschal of Ireland, as mentioned earlier. It should be noted also that Seneschal was also the term used in Ireland to denote the Steward of a Prescriptive Barony, or Manor
(as the official would be called in England), before whom the Court Leet
or view of frankpledge was held. More recently, the term Seneschal was also, apparently used to describe Donal Buckley, as the Governor-General
of the Irish Free State
in 1932.
and confirmed by act of Parliament. A precedent for the appointment of a deputy to execute in his place the duties of an Honorary Hereditary Officer of the Crown in Ireland is found in the license from King John in 1220 for John Marshal, to appoint a deputy to him as Lord Marshal, as well as in England/Scotland where the Earl of Crawford
has deputised for the Lord High Steward of Scotland, who as Duke of Rothesay
and Prince of Wales
and Scotland
had another role to attend to, namely as Heir Apparent.
The precedent for the appointment by the Lord High Steward of Ireland of a deputy as steward of a county is found in the case of the appointment by letters patent on 27 August in the 28th year of the reign of the Plantagenet King Henry VI of England (circa 1450) by John, the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, of John Penyngton, Esq., as Steward of the Liberty of Wexford. This was acknowledged in evidence in the case lodged pursuant to the order of the House of Lords of 1 August 1862. The precedent for such a deputy within the Court of the Lord High Steward to be also appointed on a hereditary basis is found in the cases of the Grand Almoner of England, who is the Marquess of Exeter
, the Grand Carver of England
who is the Earl of Denbigh and Desmond and the Grand Falconer
, who is the Duke of St. Albans. By precedent and analogy therefore, the Lord High Steward of Ireland has been able to appoint deputies, designated stewards or seneschals for counties, and on a hereditary basis.
Although this prerogative has not been exercised during the period of the Penal Laws, nor later in the absence of visits of the Sovereign to Ireland, the Lord High Steward’s prerogative remains intact, and has been invoked in some appointments in the 20th century. Such appointments of deputies by Lords High Stewards (for example of Scotland or England) have been accepted in the past by the Court of Claims constituted at Coronations, most recently in 1953.
The function of deputy to the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal of Ireland is discharged under a related appointment of office, the Lord Steward for Tyrconnell, by letters patent of the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal explicitly by virtue of the royal authority vested in him, to the grantee, and specifically to hold to him and his primogeniture heirs for ever.
, it was the Lord High Steward of Ireland, the Earl of Shrewsbury, who performed the responsibility of the Curtana
, and carried that Sword of State
at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
in June 1953 . Four Swords of State are used, and the Lord High Steward of Ireland carries one of these, the Sword of Mercy
, which has a blunt tip, and is called thus the Curtana
. The others are the Swords respectively of Spiritual Justice, and of Temporal Justice, and the Great Sword of State, or the Sword of Offering. The Curtana is also known as the Sword of King Edward the Confessor.
Today, in the Republic of Ireland
, the governance functions of the Lord High Steward of Ireland, such as in presiding over trials of peers, are long since obsolete, firstly with the demise of the Irish House of Lords
, and furthermore by virtue of the independence of the Irish Free State
(see Irish Free State Act of 1922) and later Republic of Ireland. However, without regard to the partial continuity of relevance of the office to that part of Ireland (i.e., Northern Ireland
) which remains within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom, the title continues as a title of honour and incorporeal hereditament in both jurisdictions, and in the UK some other vestigial functions endure, such as the responsibilities at a Coronation of the British Sovereign, as carried out for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and the right to delegate these responsibilities to an appointed deputy, and hence to thus hold his own court and appoint its subordinate officers.
See also Vice Great Seneschal of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
) have held the office since the 15th century.
The 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG , known as "Old Talbot" was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France.-Origins:He was descended from Richard Talbot, a tenant in 1086 of Walter Giffard...
was created Earl of Waterford and Lord High Steward of Ireland on 17 July 1446 by letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
of King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
. The current Lord High Steward is his heir, the 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury
Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl Talbot and 22nd Earl of Waterford is the son of the 21st Earl of Shrewsbury - Died 12th November 1980 and the former Nadine Crofton .He was educated at Harrow School.On 5th January 1973 he married...
.
Differences between England, Scotland, and Ireland
In England, the Lord High Stewardship of England ceased to be hereditary, and was for example, conferred on the Duke of NorthumberlandDuke of Northumberland
The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
for the Coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
in 1911. It is considered the first of the great offices of state, and supreme judge in parliament. As such, that Lord High Steward (of England) walks in front of the new Sovereign, carrying the Crown of St. Edward, on a velvet cushion. He wears robes of white satin and gold under-garment, with a long red mantle and ermine tippet.
In Scotland, the Lord High Steward of Scotland, is the Prince of Scotland
Prince of Scotland
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are two of the titles of the heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom. The current holder of these titles is HRH The Prince Charles who bears the Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles and Baron Renfrew, and is known...
, as Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay was a title of the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707, of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and now of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland....
, who is also currently the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
and Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
. Given this Prince’s other responsibilities, at the last two Coronations, the Earl of Crawford
Earl of Crawford
The title Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in Great Britain, having been created in the Peerage of Scotland for Sir David Lindsay in 1398. It is the premier earldom recorded on the Union Roll.The title has a very complex history...
was appointed as deputy to officiate in his stead.
In Ireland, the Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary position, vested historically in the Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
, but in other respects largely analogous to that of England, as determined by the Attorney-General in 1862. The historical background to that was the office of the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal of Ireland granted to Sir Bertram de Verdun
Bertram de Verdun
Bertram de Verdun was the name of several members of the Norman family of Verdun, native of Avranchin.For the historian Mark Hagger, the Verdun family lived lavishly in Normandy where they were minor land holders, and after the Norman conquest of England they were granted land in England...
by King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
. Lynch devotes a detailed section of his book on feudal dignities to this office and hereditary title, and to its descent.
The hereditary nature of the office in Ireland
Blackstone observes that there are offices, consisting of a right to exercise a public or private employment, along with the fees and emoluments thereunto belonging, that are also incorporeal hereditamentsHereditament
In law, a hereditament is any kind of property that can be inherited.Hereditaments are divided into corporeal and incorporeal...
, i.e., heritable. Examples include certain royal offices, such as the Lord High Steward of Ireland. The holder may have an estate in them, unto him and his heirs. Other offices may be for life or for a term of years. In his work, Lynch devotes a chapter to such incorporeal hereditaments as “Honorary Hereditary Officers”. He describes the dignity of Lord Constable conferred on Hugh de Lacy by original grant in 1185 of Meath. The Lord Constable of Ireland, originally vested with lands to which it was incident or annexed, and which descended through Walter’s son Gilbert de Lacy to John de Verdun (ex jure uxoris Margaret) by virtue of his moiety of Meath (the other moiety descending to Geoffrey de Genneville, ex jure uxoris Matilda). By 1460, the lands to which it had been incident vested in Lord Theobald de Verdun’s co-heirs in 1460, and, according to Lynch, the exercise of the office fell into desuetude.
However, it can be seen elsewhere that the Lord High Stewardship continued to be inherited by the Earls of Shrewsbury. In Letters of Appointment dated 27 August in the 28th year of King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
, the first Earl of Shrewsbury who was also the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal of Ireland, appointed John Penyngton to be Steward of the Liberty of Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, and in such appointment, the Earl is described as “Senescallus ac Constabularius Hiberniae” . Further examples continue such as the case of the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, confirmed in an inquisition later in 1624 , and recalled in a Case before the House of Lords in 1862, dealing with the Lord High Stewardship of Ireland. Such appointments by the Lords Shrewsbury of Stewards of Counties in Ireland were upheld by the House of Lords as proof of the exercise of the prerogatives of the Lord High Steward of Ireland . Furthermore, it was in his inherited capacity as Lord High Steward of Ireland that the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot, assisted at the coronation of King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
in 1485. The 12th Earl, in the same capacity as Lord High Steward of Ireland, assisted at the coronation of King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
in 1685. In both of these cases, the Lord High Steward carried the Curtana
Curtana
Curtana, also Cortana or Courtain, is a Latinized form of the Anglo-French curtein, from Latin curtus, 'shortened', used for a ceremonial type of sword.-Famous curtanas:For the main article see Sword of Mercy...
.
Lapses in hereditary exercise of the office due to the Penal Laws
From the time of King Henry VIHenry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
, no English Monarch (except King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
and King William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
during the civil war of 1690-2) was in Ireland until the visit of King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
in 1821. There was therefore during that period few if any occasion where the Earls of Shrewsbury could have exercised the duties of their office as Lords High Stewards of Ireland, about the person of the Sovereign.
As the Earls of Shrewsbury were at one time Roman Catholics, prior to Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
in Ireland, in 1829, they were prevented from effectively performing the judicial role of Lord High Steward. Hence, for example, in 1739, Thomas Baron Wyndham of Finglass, was eight times one of the Lord Justices of Ireland, and officiated as Lord High Steward of Ireland in the trial of Baron Barry of Santry for murder and treason, being the first trial of a Lord by his Peers in the Kingdom of Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
. Baron Wyndham of Finglass surrendered the offices of Lord Justice at his own request in 1739 on account of his ill-health.
The next trial of a peer was that of Nicholas, 5th Viscount Netterville, for murder in 1743, when Lord Jocelyn (Lord Chancellor) presided as the acting Lord High Steward. The same ceremonials as for the trial of Lord Santry were used, but the case collapsed when the two principal witnesses died. When the assembled peers judged Lord Santry
Santry
Santry is a suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, bordering Coolock, Glasnevin and Ballymun. Today it straddles the boundary of Dublin City and Fingal County Council area....
therefore not guilty, the Lord High Steward broke the white wand and adjourned the House.
The third case of a trial of a peer in Ireland by his peers was the trial of Robert, 2nd Earl of Kingston
Earl of Kingston
Earl of Kingston is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1768 for Edward King, 1st Viscount Kingston. He had already succeeded his father as fifth Baronet of Boyle Abbey and been created Baron Kingston, of Rockingham in the County of Roscommon in 1764 and Viscount Kingston in 1766,...
, in May 1798, for the murder of a Henry Gerald Fitzgerald, the illegitimate son of his brother-in-law. In the absence of witnesses for the prosecution, he was found not guilty, and the Lord High Steward thereupon broke his wand of office. On that occasion, the duties of the Lord High Steward were discharged by John FitzGibbon, the 1st Earl of Clare
Earl of Clare
Earl of Clare was a title of English nobility created three times: once each in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and Ireland. The title derives from Clare, Suffolk, where a prominent Anglo-Norman family was seated since the Norman Conquest, and from which their English surname sprang from...
, who was also the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
.
Resumption upon Catholic Emancipation
It was only after the Catholic Emancipation Act of 13 April 1829 that John, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury could take his seat in ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. Recognising the Earl’s claim to the Lord High Stewardship, King William IV was pleased to respond to his petition and grant to the Earl the privileges inherent in the Lord High Stewardship, namely wearing the court uniform, and having access to the King’s levées by means of the private entrée, and of using the same upon other customary occasions.
The same continuity of lineal succession and right was also upheld in the case of the Chief Serjeantcy of Ireland, when it was found that neither a period of adverse possession
Adverse possession
Adverse possession is a process by which premises can change ownership. It is a common law concept concerning the title to real property . By adverse possession, title to another's real property can be acquired without compensation, by holding the property in a manner that conflicts with the true...
, nor "nonusor nor mysusor" was held valid against the legitimate and upheld claim of the lineal heir, Walter Cruise, of the first grantee, centuries later, as decreed and adjudged on the 13 November in the fifth year of the reign of King Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, and as recorded in Lynch’s “Feudal Dignities”.
Hence, the Earl of Shrewsbury subsequently took his place, as Lord High Steward of Ireland, amongst the High Officers of State at the funeral of King William IV, when Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
also appointed him to carry the Banner of Ireland. Subsequently his precedence over the Dukes of England as Hereditary Lord High Steward of Ireland, was established in the Table of Precedency prepared in the Herald’s Office and approved by Earl de Grey
Earl de Grey
The titles of Marquess De Grey and Earl De Grey were created in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom respectively for descendants of the Greys, Duke of Kent and Earls of Kent, created 1465, who were unrelated or extremely distantly related to the family of the Earls Grey created...
in his capacity as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 1843; and similarly by the Earl of Eglington as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 1858.
On 1 August 1862, the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
made an Order . to confirm the right of the then Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, and Earl Talbot, Henry John, to the Office of Lord High Steward of Ireland.
The White Wand of Office
Sir John Talbot (born 1803) took part in the installation of the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
as a Knight of Saint Patrick at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Saint Patrick's Cathedral , or more formally, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Patrick is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland which was founded in 1191. The Church has designated it as The National Cathedral of Ireland...
on 18 April 1868. On 15 September 1871, Queen Victoria granted to Charles John Chetwynd-Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, etc. “that he and the heirs male of his body, being Lords High Steward of Ireland, may carry a white wand
White Wand
The White Rod, White Wand, Rod of Inauguration, or Wand of Sovereignty, in the Irish language variously called the slat na ríghe and slat tighearnais , was the primary symbol of a Gaelic king or lord's legitimate authority and the principal prop used in his inauguration ceremony...
when appearing officially in Ireland and when attending State ceremonials, and be placed at such ceremonies according to the Office of the Lord High Steward of Ireland ”.
Accordingly and subsequently, a white wand
White Wand
The White Rod, White Wand, Rod of Inauguration, or Wand of Sovereignty, in the Irish language variously called the slat na ríghe and slat tighearnais , was the primary symbol of a Gaelic king or lord's legitimate authority and the principal prop used in his inauguration ceremony...
was used at the Coronations of subsequent Kings Edward VII in 1902 and King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1911, and a later Earl, John George Charles Henry Alton Alexander Chetwynd-Talbot carried a white wand at the Coronation of King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
in 1937.
The significance of the white wand can be found in its representation of the supreme judicial functions of the Lord High Steward, having been used by Baron Wyndham of Finglass in his interim capacity as acting Lord High Steward for the trial of Baron Barry of Santry
Baron Barry of Santry
Baron Barry of Santry, in the County of Dublin, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1661 for the Irish lawyer and politician Sir James Barry, a former Member of the Irish Parliament for Lismore and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. His grandson, the third Baron, served as Governor...
. On that occasion the customary Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod bore a white one, instead of black, for the Lord High Steward. Lord Santry was pardoned, and fled to Italy where he died.
Therein lies the significance of the white wand: it is a rod of office and the commission appointing a temporary Lord High Steward is dissolved according to custom by breaking the rod. This is also the customary practice for the Lord High Steward when operative in England (not being hereditary) . However, the Earl of Shrewsbury, holding the Lord High Stewardship on a hereditary basis, can retain the rod, and hence Queen Victoria’s authorisation that it be used at State ceremonials.
The white wand
White Wand
The White Rod, White Wand, Rod of Inauguration, or Wand of Sovereignty, in the Irish language variously called the slat na ríghe and slat tighearnais , was the primary symbol of a Gaelic king or lord's legitimate authority and the principal prop used in his inauguration ceremony...
(or slat bhan) is also significant in the Gaelic/Brehon tradition of the inauguration of ancient Irish Kings. This is keenly observed in the inauguration of the O’Donnell, Prince of Tyrconnell. The significance of the white wand was described by Geoffrey Keating: It was the chronicler’s function to place a wand in the hand of each lord [or king] on his inauguration; and on presenting the wand he made it known to the populace that the lord or king need not take up arms thenceforth to keep his country in subjection, but that they should obey his wand as a scholar obeys his master. For, as the wise scholar obeys and is grateful to his master, in the same way subjects are bound to their kings, for it is with the wand of equity and justice he directs his subjects, and not with the edge of the weapon of injustice.
Equally, in the Baronage of Scotland, the wand of officers of a Barony is also a white wand, associated with Chiefship, and originally with the scepter of the Scottish King (or Ard-Righ), indicating also that the Scottish feudal baron is also a chef de famille, who reigns within his circle .
A glimpse of the historic roles of Lords Stewards or Seneschals can be obtained from the case of the inauguration of the O'Neill
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
as Prince at Tullahoge. The O'Cahan would cast a gold sandal over the head of the O'Neill Prince elect, while the O'Hagan, Baron of Tullahoge, who was O'Neill’s steward and justiciary for Tyrone, would present a straight wand, and then fasten the sandal to the Prince’s foot .
The Lord High Steward has also been known as the Great Seneschal of Ireland, as mentioned earlier. It should be noted also that Seneschal was also the term used in Ireland to denote the Steward of a Prescriptive Barony, or Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
(as the official would be called in England), before whom the Court Leet
Court leet
The court leet was a historical court baron of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.-History:...
or view of frankpledge was held. More recently, the term Seneschal was also, apparently used to describe Donal Buckley, as the Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 1932.
The Court of the Lord High Steward
The Court of the Lord High Steward in England was first formally instituted in 1499 for the trial of Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of WarwickEdward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick
Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick was the son of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and a potential claimant to the English throne during the reigns of both Richard III and his successor, Henry VII...
and confirmed by act of Parliament. A precedent for the appointment of a deputy to execute in his place the duties of an Honorary Hereditary Officer of the Crown in Ireland is found in the license from King John in 1220 for John Marshal, to appoint a deputy to him as Lord Marshal, as well as in England/Scotland where the Earl of Crawford
Earl of Crawford
The title Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in Great Britain, having been created in the Peerage of Scotland for Sir David Lindsay in 1398. It is the premier earldom recorded on the Union Roll.The title has a very complex history...
has deputised for the Lord High Steward of Scotland, who as Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay was a title of the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707, of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and now of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland....
and Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
and Scotland
Prince of Scotland
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are two of the titles of the heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom. The current holder of these titles is HRH The Prince Charles who bears the Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles and Baron Renfrew, and is known...
had another role to attend to, namely as Heir Apparent.
The precedent for the appointment by the Lord High Steward of Ireland of a deputy as steward of a county is found in the case of the appointment by letters patent on 27 August in the 28th year of the reign of the Plantagenet King Henry VI of England (circa 1450) by John, the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, of John Penyngton, Esq., as Steward of the Liberty of Wexford. This was acknowledged in evidence in the case lodged pursuant to the order of the House of Lords of 1 August 1862. The precedent for such a deputy within the Court of the Lord High Steward to be also appointed on a hereditary basis is found in the cases of the Grand Almoner of England, who is the Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Exeter is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1525 for Henry Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon...
, the Grand Carver of England
Grand Carver of England
The Grand Carver of England is a hereditary office of the Royal Household of the sovereign of England and later the United Kingdom, held in gross.The holder is the Earl of Denbigh and Desmond....
who is the Earl of Denbigh and Desmond and the Grand Falconer
Grand Falconer
Grand Falconer may refer to:* Grand Falconer of France* Hereditary Grand Falconer of England, title of the Duke of St Albans...
, who is the Duke of St. Albans. By precedent and analogy therefore, the Lord High Steward of Ireland has been able to appoint deputies, designated stewards or seneschals for counties, and on a hereditary basis.
Although this prerogative has not been exercised during the period of the Penal Laws, nor later in the absence of visits of the Sovereign to Ireland, the Lord High Steward’s prerogative remains intact, and has been invoked in some appointments in the 20th century. Such appointments of deputies by Lords High Stewards (for example of Scotland or England) have been accepted in the past by the Court of Claims constituted at Coronations, most recently in 1953.
The function of deputy to the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal of Ireland is discharged under a related appointment of office, the Lord Steward for Tyrconnell, by letters patent of the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal explicitly by virtue of the royal authority vested in him, to the grantee, and specifically to hold to him and his primogeniture heirs for ever.
Continuing ceremonial role
Notwithstanding the later advent of the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, it was the Lord High Steward of Ireland, the Earl of Shrewsbury, who performed the responsibility of the Curtana
Curtana
Curtana, also Cortana or Courtain, is a Latinized form of the Anglo-French curtein, from Latin curtus, 'shortened', used for a ceremonial type of sword.-Famous curtanas:For the main article see Sword of Mercy...
, and carried that Sword of State
Sword of State
A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolizing the power of a monarch to use the might of the state against its enemies, and their duty to preserve thus right and peace.It is known to be used in following monarchies:...
at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in June 1953 . Four Swords of State are used, and the Lord High Steward of Ireland carries one of these, the Sword of Mercy
Sword of Mercy
The Sword of Mercy, or Edward the Confessor's Sword, is a symbolically broken sword that is part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom...
, which has a blunt tip, and is called thus the Curtana
Curtana
Curtana, also Cortana or Courtain, is a Latinized form of the Anglo-French curtein, from Latin curtus, 'shortened', used for a ceremonial type of sword.-Famous curtanas:For the main article see Sword of Mercy...
. The others are the Swords respectively of Spiritual Justice, and of Temporal Justice, and the Great Sword of State, or the Sword of Offering. The Curtana is also known as the Sword of King Edward the Confessor.
Today, in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the governance functions of the Lord High Steward of Ireland, such as in presiding over trials of peers, are long since obsolete, firstly with the demise of the Irish House of Lords
Irish House of Lords
The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from mediaeval times until 1800. It was abolished along with the Irish House of Commons by the Act of Union.-Function:...
, and furthermore by virtue of the independence of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
(see Irish Free State Act of 1922) and later Republic of Ireland. However, without regard to the partial continuity of relevance of the office to that part of Ireland (i.e., Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) which remains within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom, the title continues as a title of honour and incorporeal hereditament in both jurisdictions, and in the UK some other vestigial functions endure, such as the responsibilities at a Coronation of the British Sovereign, as carried out for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and the right to delegate these responsibilities to an appointed deputy, and hence to thus hold his own court and appoint its subordinate officers.
Lord High Stewards of Ireland, 1446-present
- 1446–1453: John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordJohn Talbot, 1st Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG , known as "Old Talbot" was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France.-Origins:He was descended from Richard Talbot, a tenant in 1086 of Walter Giffard...
- 1453–1460: John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordJohn Talbot, 2nd Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 2nd Earl of Waterford, 8th Baron Talbot, KG was an English nobleman and soldier. He was the son of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Maud Nevill, 6th Baroness Furnivall...
- 1460–1473: John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordJohn Talbot, 3rd Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, 3rd Earl of Waterford, 9th Baron Talbot, KG was an English nobleman. He was the son of John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury and Elizabeth Butler....
- 1473–1538: George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordGeorge Talbot, 4th Earl of ShrewsburyGeorge Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, 4th Earl of Waterford, 10th Baron Talbot, 9th Baron Furnivall, KG was the son of John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury and Lady Catherine Stafford, daughter of the 1st Duke of Buckingham....
- 1538–1560: Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordFrancis Talbot, 5th Earl of ShrewsburyFrancis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury, 5th Earl of Waterford, 11th Baron Talbot KG was the son of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury and Anne Hastings....
- 1560–1590: George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordGeorge Talbot, 6th Earl of ShrewsburyGeorge Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal was a 16th century English statesman.-Life:...
- 1590–1616: Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordGilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of ShrewsburyGilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, KG was was a peer in the peerage of England.He was the eldest surviving son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland.In 1568, Gilbert was...
- 1616–1617: Edward Talbot, 8th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordEdward Talbot, 8th Earl of ShrewsburyEdward Talbot, 8th Earl of Shrewsbury and 8th Earl of Waterford , was the younger brother and nearest male heir of Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, whom he succeeded as Earl of Shrewsbury and Lord High Steward of Ireland in 1616.He was born in Sheffield, the son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of...
- 1617–1630: George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordGeorge Talbot, 9th Earl of ShrewsburyGeorge Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury, 9th Earl of Waterford was the son of Sir John Talbot of Grafton in Worcestershire, a prominent Roman Catholic priest....
- 1630–1654: John Talbot, 10th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordJohn Talbot, 10th Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 10th Earl of Shrewsbury, 10th Earl of Waterford was an English nobleman.He was the only child and son of John Talbot of Longford, Market Drayton, Shropshire John Talbot, 10th Earl of Shrewsbury, 10th Earl of Waterford (1601 - 8 February 1654) was an English nobleman.He was the only...
- 1654–1667: Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordFrancis Talbot, 11th Earl of ShrewsburyFrancis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury, 11th Earl of Waterford was an English peer, the second son of the 10th Earl of Shrewsbury....
- 1667–1718: Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, 12th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordCharles Talbot, 1st Duke of ShrewsburyCharles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, KG, PC was an English statesman. Born to Roman Catholic parents, he remained in that faith until 1679 when—during the time of the Popish Plot and following the advice of the divine John Tillotson—he converted to the Church of England...
- 1718–1743: Gilbert Talbot, 13th Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford
- 1743–1787: George Talbot, 14th Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford
- 1787–1827: Charles Talbot, 15th Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford
- 1827–1852: John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford
- 1852–1856: Bertram Arthur Talbot, 17th Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford
- 1856–1868: Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 18th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordHenry Chetwynd-Talbot, 18th Earl of ShrewsburyAdmiral Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 18th Earl of Shrewsbury, 3rd Earl Talbot, 18th Earl of Waterford, CB, PC , styled Viscount Ingestre between 1826 and 1849 and known as The Earl Talbot between 1849 and 1858, was a British naval commander and Conservative politician.-Background:Shrewsbury was the...
- 1868–1877: Charles John Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordCharles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of ShrewsburyCharles John Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury, 19th Earl of Waterford, 4th Earl Talbot, PC , styled Viscount Ingestre between 1849 and 1868, was a British Conservative politician...
- 1877–1921: Charles Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordCharles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of ShrewsburyMajor Charles Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury, 20th Earl of Waterford, 5th Earl Talbot , was a British peer.Talbot was the only son and heir of the Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury...
- 1921–1980: John George Charles Henry Alton Alexander Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, 21st Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford
- 1980–present :Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury and WaterfordCharles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of ShrewsburyCharles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl Talbot and 22nd Earl of Waterford is the son of the 21st Earl of Shrewsbury - Died 12th November 1980 and the former Nadine Crofton .He was educated at Harrow School.On 5th January 1973 he married...
Deputised Lord High Stewards of Ireland
The following were appointed to preside in the trials by the Irish House of Lords of Peers indicted for various crimes, and their ceremonial roles were limited to those appertaining to their temporary judicial role.- 1739: Thomas Wyndham (1681–1745), 1st Baron Wyndham of Finglass
- 1743: Robert Jocelyn (1727–1756), 1st Viscount Jocelyn
- 1798: John FitzGibbon (1749–1802), 1st Earl of ClareEarl of ClareEarl of Clare was a title of English nobility created three times: once each in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and Ireland. The title derives from Clare, Suffolk, where a prominent Anglo-Norman family was seated since the Norman Conquest, and from which their English surname sprang from...
See also Vice Great Seneschal of Ireland
Vice Great Seneschal of Ireland
Vice Great Seneschal of Ireland, is not a formal title of office, but describes a functional role under the aegis of the Hereditary Great Seneschal or Lord High Steward of Ireland, the latter acting under royal authority dating back several centuries...