Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey
Encyclopedia
Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey ( – 14 February 1761), known as The Lord Altham between 1727 and 1737, was an Irish peer and governor of Wexford
. He is known for the doubts surrounding his claim to the barony of Altham
, and for the questions as to the legitimacy of his marriages and therefore his son's claim to his titles. He is also remembered in contemporary times for the infamous kidnap of a rival and usurpation of his titles and inheritance, forming the model for part of the novel Kidnapped
, by Robert Louis Stevenson
.
of Westminster
, and Dean of Exeter
, by Dorothy, daughter of John Davy. Baptised in 1693 in Exeter, he was for a short time an ensign
in the army, but quitted the service in 1715. He succeeded his elder brother Arthur Annesley, 4th Baron Altham, as 5th Baron Altham (a title in the Peerage of Ireland
) in 1727, and was thus able to take a seat in the Irish House of Lords
. In 1737 he also succeeded his cousin Arthur Annesley, 5th Earl of Anglesey
, as 7th Baron Mountnorris and 7th Viscount Valentia
(titles in the Peerage of Ireland) and as 6th Baron Annesley and 6th Earl of Anglesey
(titles in the Peerage of England
).
, who claimed to be the legitimate son of Arthur, the late 4th Baron Altham, and consequently a nephew of Anglesey. As a young teenager, Annesley was kidnapped, shipped to the American plantations, and sold as an indentured servant
in 1728, apparently on the orders of his uncle. He escaped slavery, and in 1743 he was assaulted, for which offences Anglesey was convicted in 1744. Annesley's claim to the titles reached the courts in 1743 who found in his favour, but Anglesey immediately lodged an appeal. Anglesey's defence was that Annesley was not the legitimate son of Mary, but actually the illegitimate son of Joan Landy. Anglesey continued in the enjoyment of his estates and his titles until his death at Camolin Park in County Wexford
on 14 February 1761.
, Devon, but he appears to have deserted her almost immediately. Also in 1715, it is reported he married in Ireland Ann Simpson (–1765), daughter of Dublin clothier John Simpson. He and Prust had seemingly separated by 1719, after which he appears to have lived with Simpson in Ireland, whom he forced to quit his house in 1740 or 1741. In 1741, Simpson took proceedings against him in the ecclesiastical court
on the grounds of cruelty and adultery, with a view to obtaining permanent alimony; he set up by way of defence that he was lawfully married to Prust at the time when he was alleged to have gone through the ceremony of marriage with Simpson, and she appears to have gained nothing by her suit. Simpson died in 1765, leaving three daughters:
Prust died without issue and was buried in August 1741 as Countess of Anglesey. In September, he married in private Juliana
(a second, public ceremony took place in 1752) and they had four children:
Juliana was first rumoured to be the daughter of Richard Donovan, a merchant in Wexford
, and this later evolved into the accusation she was the daughter of an alehouse-keeper in Camolin
. However Juliana was actually of noble lineage, being the daughter of Richard Donovan (newly of Camolin), of the junior sept
of Ballymore
of the ancient O'Donovan
s of Clan Loughlin, from the distant Barony of Carbery
. She was the great-great-great granddaughter of Donel Oge na Cartan O'Donovan, the 1st Lord of Clan Loughlin to hold his territories from the Crown, from 1616 (see surrender and regrant
). A near cousin from the senior line was Jeremiah O'Donovan (MP Baltimore)
, and to her very own sept later belonged Edward Westby Donovan
, Commander of British Troops in Hong Kong.
Additionally, his children included Ann, daughter of Mrs Mary Glover of Newport Pagnell, and Richard, son of Mrs Anne Salkeld (daughter of William Salkeld). Richard claimed Anglesey and Salkeld married in 1742, however this would have been bigamous assuming the Anglesey's 1741 marriage to Juliana.
, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland: one by Juliana, on behalf of her infant son Arthur
, and the other by Sir John Annesley, a distant cousin who claimed Arthur was illegitimate. Both memorials were referred to the attorney-general and solicitor-general for consideration, who in 1765 reported to the lords-justices in favour of the claim of Arthur, who accordingly, on coming of age, took his seat in the Irish House of Lords.
He was not, however, so successful in the proceedings which he took to make good his claim to the English earldom. In 1766, being then of age, he presented a petition to the king, praying to be summoned to parliament as Earl of Anglesey and Baron of Newport-Pagnell. The petition was considered by the committee of privileges in 1770–1. It was opposed by Lord Mulgrave
, who claimed to be interested in the result by virtue of the will of James, 3rd Earl of Anglesey
, the grandfather of the claimant. Alexander Wedderburn
, who became solicitor-general during the progress of the inquiry, and Mr. Dunning, appeared for the claimant; Mr. Serjeant Leigh and Mr. Mansfield for Lord Mulgrave.
The issue came to depend entirely on whether a certain marriage certificate, bearing date 1741, was genuine or not. Juliana swore that she had been secretly married to Anglesey in 1741, and produced the certificate in evidence. On the other hand Mulgrave's witnesses swore that the certificate had been made out at the date of the marriage in 1752, and purposely antedated. The witnesses to the alleged marriage being all dead, the case for the claimant broke down, and the committee reported that he had no right to the titles, honours, and dignities claimed by him. The earldom and other titles in the English peerage accordingly became extinct in 1761. Anglesey by his will had entailed his estates upon the issue of his son Arthur, whose right to the Irish titles was reinvestigated on the petition of John Annesley of Ballysax, Esq., but was confirmed. Arthur was created Earl of Mountnorris in 1793. This title has, however, since become extinct, with the present Viscount Valentia being the lineal descendant of the sixth son of the first viscount.
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
. He is known for the doubts surrounding his claim to the barony of Altham
Baron Altham
Baron Altham was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1681 for the Hon. Altham Annesley, younger son of Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey. See the Viscount Valentia for the history of the title until its extinction in 1844....
, and for the questions as to the legitimacy of his marriages and therefore his son's claim to his titles. He is also remembered in contemporary times for the infamous kidnap of a rival and usurpation of his titles and inheritance, forming the model for part of the novel Kidnapped
Kidnapped (novel)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
.
Background
Annesley was the second son of Richard Annesley, 3rd Baron Altham, sometime prebendaryPrebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Westminster
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, and Dean of Exeter
Dean of Exeter
The Dean of Exeter is the head of the Chapter of Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, England. The chapter was established by Bishop William Briwere who set up the offices of Dean and chancellor of Exeter Cathedral, allowing the chapter to elect those officers.The current Dean lives at the...
, by Dorothy, daughter of John Davy. Baptised in 1693 in Exeter, he was for a short time an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the army, but quitted the service in 1715. He succeeded his elder brother Arthur Annesley, 4th Baron Altham, as 5th Baron Altham (a title in the Peerage 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,...
) in 1727, and was thus able to take a seat in 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:...
. In 1737 he also succeeded his cousin Arthur Annesley, 5th Earl of Anglesey
Arthur Annesley, 5th Earl of Anglesey
Arthur Annesley, 5th Earl of Anglesey PC, PC was an Anglo-Irish politician. He was a Member of Parliament in both the British and Irish lower houses before succeeding as 6th Viscount Valentia and 5th Earl of Anglesey, joining both the upper houses...
, as 7th Baron Mountnorris and 7th Viscount Valentia
Viscount Valentia
Viscount Valentia is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It has been created twice. The first creation came in 1621 for Henry Power. A year later, his kinsman Sir Francis Annesley, 1st Baronet, was given a "reversionary grant" of the viscountcy, which stated that on Power's death Annesley would be...
(titles in the Peerage of Ireland) and as 6th Baron Annesley and 6th Earl of Anglesey
Earl of Anglesey
The title of Earl of Anglesey was created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1623 when Christopher Villiers was created Earl of Anglesey, in Wales, as well as Baron Villiers. He was the younger brother of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham and the elder brother of John...
(titles in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
).
Claim to the Altham barony by James Annesley
In or about 1742 there appeared in England one James AnnesleyJames Annesley
James Annesley was an Irishman who had a claim to be the Earl of Anglesey. He is perhaps best known today for partially inspiring the novel Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.-Life:...
, who claimed to be the legitimate son of Arthur, the late 4th Baron Altham, and consequently a nephew of Anglesey. As a young teenager, Annesley was kidnapped, shipped to the American plantations, and sold as an indentured servant
Indentured servant
Indentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture. Usually the father made the arrangements and signed...
in 1728, apparently on the orders of his uncle. He escaped slavery, and in 1743 he was assaulted, for which offences Anglesey was convicted in 1744. Annesley's claim to the titles reached the courts in 1743 who found in his favour, but Anglesey immediately lodged an appeal. Anglesey's defence was that Annesley was not the legitimate son of Mary, but actually the illegitimate son of Joan Landy. Anglesey continued in the enjoyment of his estates and his titles until his death at Camolin Park in County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
on 14 February 1761.
Marriages and children
In Devon in 1715 he married Ann Prust (1694–1741), daughter of Captain John Prust, of Monckton, near BidefordBideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
, Devon, but he appears to have deserted her almost immediately. Also in 1715, it is reported he married in Ireland Ann Simpson (–1765), daughter of Dublin clothier John Simpson. He and Prust had seemingly separated by 1719, after which he appears to have lived with Simpson in Ireland, whom he forced to quit his house in 1740 or 1741. In 1741, Simpson took proceedings against him in the ecclesiastical court
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
on the grounds of cruelty and adultery, with a view to obtaining permanent alimony; he set up by way of defence that he was lawfully married to Prust at the time when he was alleged to have gone through the ceremony of marriage with Simpson, and she appears to have gained nothing by her suit. Simpson died in 1765, leaving three daughters:
- DorotheaDorothea Du BoisLady Dorothea Du Bois , was an Irish authoress.Du Bois was the eldest daughter of Richard Annesley, afterwards sixth earl of Anglesey, by Ann Simpson, daughter of a wealthy merchant of Dublin. She was born in Ireland in 1728, one year after her father had become Lord Altham...
(1728–1774), writer and poet, married M. Du Bois, a French musician, in 1752 and had issue; - Caroline; and
- Elizabeth.
Prust died without issue and was buried in August 1741 as Countess of Anglesey. In September, he married in private Juliana
Juliana Donovan, Countess of Anglesey
Juliana Donovan, Countess of Anglesey , was the 2nd or 3rd wife and later widow of the notorious Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey, and mother of his son and heir Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris...
(a second, public ceremony took place in 1752) and they had four children:
- ArthurArthur Annesley, 1st Earl of MountnorrisArthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris FRS was an Irish peer.He was the son of Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey, and the Countess Juliana Donovan, who belonged to the junior sept of the O'Donovans of Clan Loughlin, the Donovans of Ballymore in County Wexford...
(1744–1816), succeeded to his father's Irish titles as 8th Viscount Valentia and was later created Earl of Mountnorris, married and had issue; - Richarda, married Robert Phaire, of Temple Shannon;
- Juliana, married Sir Frederick Flood, 1st Baronet, of Newton Ormonde; and
- Catherine, married John O'Toole.
Juliana was first rumoured to be the daughter of Richard Donovan, a merchant in Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, and this later evolved into the accusation she was the daughter of an alehouse-keeper in Camolin
Camolin, County Wexford
Camolin is a village in County Wexford in Ireland, situated in the valley of the River Bann on the N11 national primary route northeast of Ferns..-Transport:Camolin railway station opened on 1 November 1867, but finally closed on 30 March 1964....
. However Juliana was actually of noble lineage, being the daughter of Richard Donovan (newly of Camolin), of the junior sept
Sept
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
of Ballymore
Ballymore
Ballymore may refer to:*Ballymore , an Irish property company*Ballymore, County Cork, village on Great Island, Cork Harbour, Ireland*Ballymore, County Donegal, Ireland*Ballymore, County Westmeath, Ireland*Ballymore, County Wexford, Ireland...
of the ancient O'Donovan
O'Donovan
O'Donovan or Donovan is an Irish surname, as well as a hereditary Gaelic title. It is also written Dhonnabháin in certain grammatical contexts, and Donndubháin, being originally composed of the elements donn, meaning lord or dark brown, dubh, meaning dark or black, and the diminutive suffix án...
s of Clan Loughlin, from the distant Barony of Carbery
Barony of Carbery
Carbery, or the Barony of Carbery, was once the largest barony in Ireland, and essentially a small, semi-independent kingdom on the southwestern coast of Munster, in what is now County Cork, from its founding in the 1230s by Donal Gott MacCarthy to its gradual decline in the late 16th and early...
. She was the great-great-great granddaughter of Donel Oge na Cartan O'Donovan, the 1st Lord of Clan Loughlin to hold his territories from the Crown, from 1616 (see surrender and regrant
Surrender and regrant
During the Tudor conquest of Ireland , "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English legal system...
). A near cousin from the senior line was Jeremiah O'Donovan (MP Baltimore)
Jeremiah O'Donovan (MP Baltimore)
Jeremiah O'Donovan , The O'Donovan of Clan Loughlin, Lord of Clan Loughlin, was MP for Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland, in James II's Patriot Parliament of 1689, alongside his kinsmen Daniel O'Donovan of Clancahill and Daniel O'Donovan .Obtaining letters patent from Charles II, his extensive...
, and to her very own sept later belonged Edward Westby Donovan
Edward Westby Donovan
Lieutenant General Edward Westby Donovan was Commander of British Troops in China, Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements.-Military career:...
, Commander of British Troops in Hong Kong.
Additionally, his children included Ann, daughter of Mrs Mary Glover of Newport Pagnell, and Richard, son of Mrs Anne Salkeld (daughter of William Salkeld). Richard claimed Anglesey and Salkeld married in 1742, however this would have been bigamous assuming the Anglesey's 1741 marriage to Juliana.
Succession
Upon Anglesey's death in 1761, two memorials were presented to the Earl of HalifaxGeorge Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, KG, PC was a British statesman of the Georgian era.-Early life:...
, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland: one by Juliana, on behalf of her infant son Arthur
Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris
Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris FRS was an Irish peer.He was the son of Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey, and the Countess Juliana Donovan, who belonged to the junior sept of the O'Donovans of Clan Loughlin, the Donovans of Ballymore in County Wexford...
, and the other by Sir John Annesley, a distant cousin who claimed Arthur was illegitimate. Both memorials were referred to the attorney-general and solicitor-general for consideration, who in 1765 reported to the lords-justices in favour of the claim of Arthur, who accordingly, on coming of age, took his seat in the Irish House of Lords.
He was not, however, so successful in the proceedings which he took to make good his claim to the English earldom. In 1766, being then of age, he presented a petition to the king, praying to be summoned to parliament as Earl of Anglesey and Baron of Newport-Pagnell. The petition was considered by the committee of privileges in 1770–1. It was opposed by Lord Mulgrave
Constantine Phipps, 1st Baron Mulgrave
Constantine Phipps, 1st Baron Mulgrave was an Irish peer. Phipps was baptised on 22 August 1722. On 26 February 1743, he married Hon. Lepell Hervey, the daughter of John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey and Mary Lepell...
, who claimed to be interested in the result by virtue of the will of James, 3rd Earl of Anglesey
James Annesley, 3rd Earl of Anglesey
James Annesley, 3rd Earl of Anglesey , succeeded to his Earldom on his father's death in 1690. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1690. His mother was Lady Elizabeth Manners, daughter of John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland...
, the grandfather of the claimant. Alexander Wedderburn
Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl of Rosslyn
Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl of Rosslyn was Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1793 to 1801.-Life:He was the eldest son of Peter Wedderburn , and was born in East Lothian....
, who became solicitor-general during the progress of the inquiry, and Mr. Dunning, appeared for the claimant; Mr. Serjeant Leigh and Mr. Mansfield for Lord Mulgrave.
The issue came to depend entirely on whether a certain marriage certificate, bearing date 1741, was genuine or not. Juliana swore that she had been secretly married to Anglesey in 1741, and produced the certificate in evidence. On the other hand Mulgrave's witnesses swore that the certificate had been made out at the date of the marriage in 1752, and purposely antedated. The witnesses to the alleged marriage being all dead, the case for the claimant broke down, and the committee reported that he had no right to the titles, honours, and dignities claimed by him. The earldom and other titles in the English peerage accordingly became extinct in 1761. Anglesey by his will had entailed his estates upon the issue of his son Arthur, whose right to the Irish titles was reinvestigated on the petition of John Annesley of Ballysax, Esq., but was confirmed. Arthur was created Earl of Mountnorris in 1793. This title has, however, since become extinct, with the present Viscount Valentia being the lineal descendant of the sixth son of the first viscount.