Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
Encyclopedia
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...
.
Boyle was an important figure in the continuing English colonization of Ireland (commenced by the Normans) in the 16th and 17th centuries, as he acquired large tracts of land in plantations
Plantations of Ireland
Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were the confiscation of land by the English crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from England and the Scottish Lowlands....
in Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
in southern Ireland. Moreover, his sons played an important role in fighting against Irish Catholic rebellion in the 1640s and '50s, assisting in the victory of the British and Protestant interest in Ireland.
Background
Boyle was born at Canterbury 3 October 1566, the second son of Roger Boyle (d. 24 March 1576 at Preston, near FavershamFaversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
in Kent), a descendant of an ancient landed Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
family, and of Joan (born 15 October 1529 at Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
- died 20 March 1586), daughter of John Naylor, who were married in Canterbury on 16 October 1564. Both are interred in an Alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
tomb in the upper end of the Chancel of the parish church of Preston.
Young Boyle went to The King's School, Canterbury
The King's School, Canterbury
The King's School is a British co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in the historic English cathedral city of Canterbury in Kent. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group....
, at the same time as Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
. University education began at Bennet (Corpus Christi) College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, England, in 1583. After this he studied law at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in London and became a clerk to Sir Roger Manwood
Roger Manwood
Sir Roger Manwood was an English jurist and Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.-Career:Sir Roger was the son of Thomas Manwood of Sandwich in Kent. He trained as a barrister at the Inner Temple and attained the highest and most prestigious order of counsel, namely serjeant-at-law...
, Kt., who was then the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" of the English Exchequer of pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the equity court and answered the bar i.e...
.
Before completing his studies, Boyle decided "to gain learning, knowledge, and experience abroad in the world" and left London for a new start in Ireland. He arrived in Dublin on 23 June 1588 with just over £27 (£ as of ),as well as a gold bracelet worth £10 (£ as of ),, and a diamond ring (given to him by his mother at her death and which he wore all his life), besides some fine clothing, and his "rapier and dagger".
In 1590 he obtained the appointment of deputy Escheator to John Crofton, the Escheator-General. On 6 November 1595, he married Joan Apsley
Joan Apsley
Joan Apsley , the maiden name of Joan Boyle, was the wife of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork.One of two daughters and co-heirs of William Apsley, of Limerick, Ireland, one of the council to the first President of the province of Munster. She married at Limerick on 6 November 1595, Richard Boyle,...
, the daughter and co-heiress of William Apsley of Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, one of the council to the first President of the province of Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
. This marriage brought Boyle an estate of £500 a year (£ as of ),, which he continued to receive until at least 1632.
Joan died at Moyallow on 14 December 1599 during childbirth (the son was still-born). Both were buried in Buttevant
Buttevant
Buttevant is a medieval market town, incorporated by charter of Edward III, situated in North County Cork, Ireland.While there may be reason to suggest that the town may occupy the site of an earlier settlement of the Donegans, Carrig Donegan, the origins of the present town are clearly and...
church, county Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
It is said by his detractors that unlike many of his other close relatives whom he took great care to commemorate, he took no trouble to have Joan commemorated after her death, leading to the conviction among some that his (in every sense) monumental commemorative endeavours were entirely practical (in terms of securing his personal objectives) rather than sentimental (her connections being of no direct use to him after her passing).
Political career
Boyle by this time had been the object of the attacks of Sir Henry WallopHenry Wallop
Sir Henry Wallop was an English statesman.He was the eldest son of Sir Oliver Wallop of Farleigh Wallop in Hampshire. Having inherited the estates of his father and of his uncle, Sir John Wallop, he was knighted in 1569 and was chosen member of parliament for Southampton in 1572...
, Treasurer at War, Sir Robert Gardiner, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, Sir Robert Dillon, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and Sir Richard Bingham, Chief Commissioner of Connaught
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
, a demonstration, said Boyle, of their envy of his success and increasing prosperity.,
Boyle was arrested on charges of fraud and collusion with the Spanish (essentially accusations of covert papist infiltration, a treasonable offence for an official in Queen Elizabeth I's Protestant civil service) in his office. He was thrown into prison (at least once by Sir William FitzWilliam in about 1592) several times during this episode. He was about to leave for England to justify himself to Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, when there was a rebellion in Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
in October 1598, and "all my lands were wasted" which once again returned him to poverty. The Nine Years War arrived in Munster with Irish rebels from Ulster, who were joined by locals who had lost land to English settlers. Boyle was forced to flee to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
for safety.
This turn of events left him obliged to return to London and his chambers at The Temple. At this point he was almost immediately taken into the service of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
.
Henry Wallop then renewed his prosecution of Boyle. Boyle was summoned to appear at the Court of Star Chamber. In the proceedings, Boyle's adversaries seem to have failed to substantiate their accusations. Boyle had somehow managed to secure the attendance of Queen Elizabeth I herself at the proceedings, and he successfully exposed some misconduct on the part of his adversaries.
Elizabeth famously said: "By God's death, these are but inventions against the young man" and she also said he was "a man fit to be employed by ourselves".
He was immediately appointed clerk of the council of Munster by Elizabeth I in 1600. In December 1601, Boyle brought to Elizabeth the news of the victory near Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
.
In October 1602, Boyle was again sent over by Sir George Carew, the president of Munster, on Irish affairs. He was knighted at St Mary's Abbey, near Dublin, by Carew on 25 July 1603. It was also on this day that he married his second wife, Catherine, daughter of Sir Jeffrey Fenton
Geoffrey Fenton
Sir Geoffrey Fenton was an English writer, Privy Councillor, and Principal Secretary of State in Ireland.-Early literary years:...
, Principal Secretary of State, and Privy Councillor, in Ireland.
Acquisition of rank, property and titles
He became a privy councillor for Munster in 1606, and in 1613 became a privy councillor for the whole of Ireland.He claimed to have built the town of Bandon
Bandon, County Cork
Bandon is a town in County Cork, Ireland. With a population of 5,822 as of census 2006, Bandon lies on the River Bandon between two hills. The name in Irish means "Bridge of the Bandon", a reference to the origin of the town as a crossing-point on the river. In 2004 Bandon celebrated its...
, but in fact the town was planned and built by Henry Beecher, John Archdeacon and William Newce. The land on which Bandon was built was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Phane Beecher in 1586 and inherited by his eldest son Henry, who sold it to Boyle in November 1618. In Bandon he founded iron-smelting and linen-weaving industries and brought in English settlers, many from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
He was returned as a Member of Parliament for Lismore
Lismore, County Waterford
Lismore is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is located where the N72 road crosses the River Blackwater.-History:It was founded by Saint Mochuda, also known as Saint Carthage. In the 7th century, Lismore was the site of the well-known Lismore Abbey. It is also home to Lismore Castle, the...
(at a Parliament held in the Castle of Dublin) on 18 May 1614.
He ascended to the Irish Peerage as Lord Boyle, Baron of Youghal, 6 September 1616, and was created Earl of Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and Viscount Dungarvan, 26 October 1620. On 26 October 1629 he was appointed as a Lord Justice, and on 9 November 1631 he became the Lord Treasurer of Ireland. Although he was not a Peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in the English Parliament, it is nonetheless recorded that he was "by writ called into the Upper House by His Majesty’s great grace", and he then took up the honoured position of an "assistant sitting on the inside of the Woolsack
Woolsack
The Woolsack is the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords, the Upper House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From the Middle Ages until 2006, the presiding officer in the House of Lords was the Lord Chancellor and the Woolsack was usually mentioned in association with the office of...
."
The town of Clonakilty
Clonakilty
Clonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town on the N71 national secondary road in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted...
http://www.clon.ie/text/clients/mdltour.htm was formally founded in 1613 by Richard Boyle when he received a charter from King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
.
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
is reported to have said of Richard Boyle 'If there had been an Earl of Cork in every province it would have been impossible for the Irish to have raised a rebellion.'
Boyle bought Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
's estates of 42000 acres (170 km²) for £1,500 (£ as of ), in the counties of Cork (including Lismore Castle
Lismore Castle
Lismore Castle is located in the town of Lismore, in County Waterford in Ireland. It was largely re-built in the Gothic style during the mid-nineteenth century by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire.-Early history:...
), Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
, and Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
and Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
in 1602. He made these purchases on the insistence of Sir George Carew. Order on the Boyle estates was maintained by 13 castles which were garrisoned by retainers.
It is a mistake to see Boyle's 'empire' as merely being exclusively confined to the development of the 'Raleigh estates': for instance, his acquisition of the entirety of the town of Bandon was not completed until 1625.
Other towns which also form part of Boyle's municipal development legacy (which records employment of over 4,000 people during his lifetime) include Midleton
Midleton
Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...
, Castlemartyr
Castlemartyr
Castlemartyr is a village in east County Cork, Ireland. It is located 25 minutes east of Cork city, 10 km east of Midleton, 16 km west of Youghal and 6 km from the coast...
, Charleville
Charleville, County Cork
Charleville or Ráth Luirc is a town in north County Cork, Ireland, situated in Ireland's Golden Vale, near the border with County Limerick. It is located on the "Glen" tributary river, which flows into the Maigue River in Co. Limerick...
and Doneraile
Doneraile
Doneraile is a town in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is located on the R581 regional road 8 km east of the N20 road which runs from Limerick to Cork. It is about 12 km north of Mallow town...
.
Richard Boyle had a substantial residence at Youghal, known today as "The College", close to the Collegiate Church of St Mary Youghal
Collegiate Church of St Mary Youghal
St. Mary's Collegiate Church, Youghal, County Cork, Ireland is a Church of Ireland Church in Youghal in East County Cork. Formerly part of the Diocese of Cloyne, it is now in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.-Early days:...
. Boyle occupied the office of Sheriff from 1625 to 1626.
By 1636 Cork had opted to live in the West country to see out the rest of his days. Cork purchased from Lord Castlehaven for £5,000 the manor of Stalbridge in Dorset, which became his English seat an in 1637 he laid out a further £20,000 for Temple Coombe Manor Close by in Somerset. Cork at the insistence of the Howards also Bought Annery House near Bideford in 1640 for £5000. The Earl was most delighted with Annery House and the living which came with the estate; he was also delighted that he could easily travel to Youghal from Bideford. Annery House was left to Francis Boyle 1st Viscount Shannon on his Fathers death in 1643. Cork had also been left the manor of Saltcombe (Salcombe) in Devon by his friend Thomas Stafford the iligitamate son of George Carew 1st Earl of Totnes. Saltcombe, along with Halberton Manor was also left to Viscount Shannon Francis Boyle and his wife Elizabeth Killigrew.
Boyle's adversaries
The Great Earl's most famous enemy was Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of StraffordThomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
. Strafford arrived in Ireland in 1633 as Lord Deputy, and at first successfully deprived Boyle of much of his privilege and income. Boyle patiently husbanded forces in opposition to Strafford’s Irish program and this successful political manoeuvering by Boyle was an important factor in Strafford’s demise.
An illuminating example of the humiliations to which Wentworth subjected Boyle, was the instance where he forced Boyle to remove his wife’s tomb from the choir in St Patrick’s at Dublin.
Archbishop William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
delighted in Wentworth's attacks on Boyle and wrote: "No physic better than a vomit if it be given in time, and therefore you have taken a very judicious course to administer one so early to my Lord of Cork. I hope it will do him good“.
Laud and Wentworth shared, with King Charles I, the same fate as many others who at some time in his life, found reasons to conspire against Boyle: an early demise, with Boyle showing his customary astuteness by putting on a convincing show of politically appropriate response at every crucial juncture.
Boyle made an entry concerning Wentworth in his diary: “A most cursed man to all Ireland and to me in particular.” It seems Boyle was someone whom you betrayed at your peril, no matter how safe your position might have seemed to be.
At Wentworth's trial, Boyle was a key witness, but he did not take any other direct part in the prosecution itself. Unsurprisingly, he was in full support of the condemnation of Wentworth and wholeheartedly approved of his execution, making a grim entry in his diary " he had his head struck off on Tower Hill, as he well deserved ".
From his children, Boyle expected obedience, although as an affectionate father he was more forgiving of opposition from them than from political enemies. Lady Mary, " my unruly daughter " angered her father by refusing to marry the Earl of Clanbrassil
Earl of Clanbrassil
The title of Earl of Clanbrassil was created twice in the Peerage of Ireland.On 4 May 1622 Sir James Hamilton was created Viscount Claneboye in the Peerage of Ireland. The 2nd Viscount, of the same name, was created Earl of Clanbrassil on 7 June 1647...
, and again by marrying the Earl of Warwick without his consent; but they were soon reconciled and he furnished a generous dowry.
Boyle died in 1643, having been chased off his lands in the Irish Rebellion of 1641
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
. His sons, however, recovered the family estates after the suppression of the rebellion.
Boyle's "philosophical" legacy
Boyle has been described as the "first colonial millionaire".Historian R. F. Foster, in his Modern Ireland calls him an 'epitome of Elizabethan adventurer-colonist in Ireland’,
The Boyle motto is: 'God's Providence is my inheritance'.
Rev. Alexander Leeper, Canon of St Patrick’s, in his Historical Handbook of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, says that Boyle spent £700 on having an Irish translation of Gospel made, and sent 500 copies to Ireland.
Boyle's theopolitical philosophy has been described as 'providentialist' when contrasted with its counterpart which prevailed to the north in Ulster at the time, which, is more typically characterised as Presbyterian.
Notice how such a comparison of these two standpoints is neither exclusively religious nor secular, a factor which perhaps offers some small insight as to how Boyle managed to achieve what seems to us now the extraordinary feat of gaining strong favour at various times with the leaders on either side of the English Civil war.
Issue
By his second wife, Catherine née Fenton, the 1st Earl of Cork had the following issue:- Roger Boyle (1 August 1606, YoughalYoughalYoughal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
, County CorkCounty CorkCounty Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
–10 October 1615, DeptfordDeptfordDeptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he was buried). - Lady Alice Boyle (1607–1667), married David Barry, 1st Earl of BarrymoreDavid Barry, 1st Earl of BarrymoreDavid Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore, 19th Baron Barry, 6th Viscount Buttevant was the posthumous child of David Barry, the son of David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant, and Elizabeth Power, daughter of Richard Power, 4th Baron le Power and Curraghmore.He was born 10 March 1604 and succeeded to the...
, then after his death, married John Barry, of Liscarroll, co Cork, Ireland - Lady Sarah Boyle (1609–1633), married Sir Thomas Moore, then after his death married Robert Digby, 1st Baron DigbyRobert Digby, 1st Baron DigbyRobert Digby, 1st Baron Digby was an Anglo-Irish peer.Digby was the son of Sir Robert Digby of Coleshill, Warwickshire and Lettice FitzGerald, of Geashill, Ireland, granddaughter of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare. John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, was his uncle, and Essex Digby, Bishop of...
- Lady Lettice Boyle (1610–1657), married Colonel George Goring, Lord GoringGeorge Goring, Lord GoringGeorge Goring, Lord Goring was an English Royalist soldier. He was known by the courtesy title Lord Goring as the eldest son of the 1st Earl of Norwich.- The Goring family :...
- Lady Joan Boyle (1611–1657), married George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of KildareGeorge FitzGerald, 16th Earl of KildareGeorge FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare was known as the "Fairy Earl", apparently for no other reason than that his portrait, still extant, was painted on a small scale." He was the son of Thomas FitzGerald and Frances Randolph and grandson of Edward FitzGerald and Agnes Leigh.-Family:He...
("the Fairy Earl") - Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Cork and 1st Earl of BurlingtonRichard Boyle, 1st Earl of BurlingtonRichard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington, 2nd Earl of Cork was Lord High Treasurer of Ireland and a cavalier.-Early years:...
(1612–1698), Lord High Treasurer of IrelandLord High Treasurer of IrelandThe Lord High Treasurer of Ireland was the chief financial officer of that kingdom until the treasuries of Great Britain and Ireland were united in 1817...
(1660–1695). - Lady Catherine BoyleKatherine Jones, Viscountess RanelaghKatherine Jones, Viscountess Ranelagh was a leading Anglo-Irish intellectual in London of the Interregnum period. She was sister to Robert Boyle, and in her own right a political and social figure closely connected to the Hartlib Circle.-Life:...
(1614–1691), married Arthur Jones, 2nd Viscount RanelaghArthur Jones, 2nd Viscount RanelaghArthur Jones, 2nd Viscount Ranelagh was an Irish politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1643.Jones was the son of Roger Jones, 1st Viscount Ranelagh and his wife Frances Moore, daughter of Sir Garret Moore, eventual 1st Viscount Moore of Drogheda. He succeeded to the titles of... - Hon. Geoffrey Boyle
- Lady Dorothy Boyle
- Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount Boyle of KinalmeakyViscount Boyle of KinalmeakyViscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky, in the County of Cork, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1628 for the eight-year-old the Hon. Lewis Boyle, second son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to the heirs male of his father...
(1619–1642), succeeded under special remainder by his older brother Richard - Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of OrreryRoger Boyle, 1st Earl of OrreryRoger Boyle redirects here. For others of this name, see Roger Boyle Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery was a British soldier, statesman and dramatist. He was the third surviving son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork and Richard's second wife, Catherine Fenton. He was created Baron of Broghill on...
(1621–1679) - Francis Boyle, 1st Viscount ShannonFrancis Boyle, 1st Viscount ShannonFrancis Boyle, 1st Viscount Shannon : the Hon. Francis Boyle, fourth son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork was created a Viscount in 1660. He married Elizabeth Killigrew, the sister of Thomas Killigrew, the dramatist who joined Charles II during his period of exile and later became Master of the...
- Lady Mary BoyleMary Rich, Countess of WarwickMary Rich, Countess of Warwick was the seventh daughter of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork and his second wife Catherine Fenton. She was born in Youghal in 1625, and after her mother's death raised by relatives in Mallow, before becoming a Maid of Honour to Henrietta Maria.She was noted for...
, married Charles Rich, 4th Earl of WarwickCharles Rich, 4th Earl of WarwickCharles Rich, 4th Earl of Warwick was an English peer and member of the House of Lords. He represented the constituencies of Essex and Sandwich.... - Hon. Robert BoyleRobert BoyleRobert Boyle FRS was a 17th century natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor, also noted for his writings in theology. He has been variously described as English, Irish, or Anglo-Irish, his father having come to Ireland from England during the time of the English plantations of...
(1627–1691), author of The Sceptical ChymistThe Sceptical ChymistThe Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-Physical Doubts & Paradoxes is the title of Robert Boyle's masterpiece of scientific literature, published in London in 1661. In the form of a dialogue, the Sceptical Chymist presented Boyle's hypothesis that matter consisted of atoms and clusters of atoms in...
; considered to be the father of modern chemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds.... - Lady Margaret Boyle
Boyle erected an elaborate monument to himself, his wives, his mother and children in The Collegiate Church of St Mary Youghal
Collegiate Church of St Mary Youghal
St. Mary's Collegiate Church, Youghal, County Cork, Ireland is a Church of Ireland Church in Youghal in East County Cork. Formerly part of the Diocese of Cloyne, it is now in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.-Early days:...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and there is a similar but much larger Boyle monument in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.
