William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster
Encyclopedia
William Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, etc. KP, PC (Ire)
(12/13 March 1749 – 20 October 1804) was an Irish liberal politician and landowner. He was born in London.
between 1768 and 1769. During the same time, he also was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Kildare Borough
. FitzGerald then sat in the Irish House of Commons
for Dublin City
until 1773, when he took on his father's title and estates. He was appointed High Sheriff of Kildare
for 1772. Politically he was a liberal supporter of Henry Grattan
's Irish Patriot Party
and he co-founded the Irish Whig Club in 1789. He controlled about six Kildare members of the Irish House of Commons
. In 1779 he was elected Colonel
of the Dublin Regiment of the Irish Volunteers
.
In 1770 FitzGerald was chosen Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland
, which post he held for two years. He was reelected for another year in 1777. In 1783 he was among the first knights in the newly-created Order of St. Patrick
. FitzGerald was a supporter of the Catholic Emancipation
and helped to found the Catholic seminary at Maynooth
in 1795. Withdrawing from parliament with Grattan in 1797, he moved to England to be with his sick wife and remained there during the 1798 rebellion.
and the well-connected Lady Emily Mary Lennox
. On 4/7 November 1775 he married The Hon. Emilia Olivia Usher St George, daughter of St George Saint-George, 1st Baron St George and Elizabeth Dominick, who died in London on 23 June 1798. He was also the elder brother of the 1790s revolutionary Lord Edward FitzGerald
, and was a first cousin of the English liberal politician Charles James Fox
.
Children:
His homes were at Carton
, where he died, and Kilkea
in County Kildare
, and at Leinster House
in Dublin (now the home of the Irish parliament). He was a founder member of the Order of St Patrick in 1783 and of the Royal Irish Academy
(1785), and was a large investor in the Royal Canal company launched in 1790. His family's estates of 60,000 acres (25,000 Ha) in Kildare were in three main parts, around Maynooth
, Rathangan
and Athy
. He rebuilt the main bridge in Athy over the River Barrow
.
(1864-1895)
|4= 4. Charles William FitzGerald
4th Duke of Leinster (1847-1887)
|5= 5. Caroline Sutherland-Leverson-Gower
(da. 2nd Duke of Sutherland
) (1817-1887)
|6= 6. William Ernest Dunscombe
1st Earl of Feversham (b.1829)
|7= 7. Mabel Violet Graham
(18??)
|8= 8. Augustus Frederick FitzGerald
3rd Duke of Leinster (1791-1874)
|9= 9. Charlotte Augusta Stanhope
(1793-1859)
|10= 10. George Granville Sutherland-Leverson-Gower
2nd Duke of Sutherland KG (1786-1861)
|11= 11. Harriet Elizabeth Georgina Howard
(1806-1868)
|12= 12. William Dunscombe
2nd Baron Faversham (1798-1867)
|13= 13. Lousia Stewart
(d.1889)
|14= 14. James Robert George Graham PC
(1792-1861)
|15= 15. Fanny Callender
(d.1857)
|16= 16. William Robert FitzGerald
2nd Duke of Leinster KP (1749-1804)
|17= 17. Emilia Olivia St. George
(da. Usher St. George
) (b.17??)
|18= 18. Charles Stanhope
3rd Earl of Harrington (1853-1859)
|19= 19. Jane Fleming
(da. John Fleming
) (b.17??)
|20= 20. George Granville Leverson-Gower
1st Duke of Sutherland KG (1758-1833)
|21= 21. Elizabeth Countess of Sutherland
(1765-1839)
|22= 22. George Howard
6th Earl of Carlisle KG (1773-1848)
|23= 23. Georgina Cavendish
(da. 5th Duke of Devonshire
KG) (b.17??)
|24= 24. Charles Dunscombe
1st Baron Feversham (1764-1841)
|25= 25. Charlotte Legge
(da. 2nd Earl of Dartmouth
) (d.1848)
|26= 26. George Stewart
8th Earl of Galloway KT (1768-1834)
|27= 27. Jane Paget
(da. 1st Earl Uxbridge) (d. 1842)
|28= 28. James Grayham 1st Bart
(1761-1824)
|29= 29. Catherine Stewart
(da. 7th Earl of Galloway
(d.1836)
|30= 30. James Callander
(b.1774)
|31= 31. Elizabeth MacDonnel
(da. 5th Earl of Antrim) (d.1796)
}}
The Most Noble Maurice (FitzGerald), 6th Duke of Leinster. (1887–1922).
Marquess and Earl of Kildare, co. Kildare, Earl and Baron of Offaly, all in the Peerage of Ireland;
Viscount Leinster of Taplow, co. Bucks, in the Peerage of Great Britain
and Baron Kildare of Kildare in the Peerage of the United Kingdom;
Premier Duke, Marquess, and Earl of Ireland.
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
(12/13 March 1749 – 20 October 1804) was an Irish liberal politician and landowner. He was born in London.
Career
FitzGerald made his Grand TourGrand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
between 1768 and 1769. During the same time, he also was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Kildare Borough
Kildare Borough (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Kildare Borough was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1801.-History:In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Kildare Borough was represented with two members.-1689–1801:...
. FitzGerald then sat in the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
for Dublin City
Dublin City (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Dublin City was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1801.-History:In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Dublin City was represented with two members. In the 1760s the radical politician Charles Lucas used the seat as his political base.-1689–1801:...
until 1773, when he took on his father's title and estates. He was appointed High Sheriff of Kildare
High Sheriff of Kildare
The High Sheriff of Kildare was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Kildare, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kildare County Sheriff. The High Sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and...
for 1772. Politically he was a liberal supporter of Henry Grattan
Henry Grattan
Henry Grattan was an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century. He opposed the Act of Union 1800 that merged the Kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain.-Early life:Grattan was born at...
's Irish Patriot Party
Irish Patriot Party
The Irish Patriot Party was the name of a number of different political groupings in Ireland throughout the 18th century. They were primarily supportive of Whig concepts of personal liberty combined with an Irish identity that rejected full independence, but advocated strong self-government within...
and he co-founded the Irish Whig Club in 1789. He controlled about six Kildare members of the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
. In 1779 he was elected Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the Dublin Regiment of the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers (18th century)
The Irish Volunteers were a militia in late 18th century Ireland. The Volunteers were founded in Belfast in 1778 to defend Ireland from the threat of foreign invasion when regular British soldiers were withdrawn from Ireland to fight across the globe during the American War of Independence...
.
In 1770 FitzGerald was chosen Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland
Grand Lodge of Ireland
The Grand Lodge of Ireland is the second most senior Grand Lodge of Freemasons in the world, and the oldest in continuous existence. Since no specific record of its foundation exists, 1725 is the year celebrated in Grand Lodge anniversaries, as the oldest reference to Grand Lodge of Ireland comes...
, which post he held for two years. He was reelected for another year in 1777. In 1783 he was among the first knights in the newly-created Order of St. Patrick
Order of St. Patrick
The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by George III. The regular creation of knights of Saint Patrick lasted until 1921, when most of Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State...
. FitzGerald was a supporter of the 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...
and helped to found the Catholic seminary at Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
in 1795. Withdrawing from parliament with Grattan in 1797, he moved to England to be with his sick wife and remained there during the 1798 rebellion.
Family
He was the second, but eldest surviving, son of James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of LeinsterJames FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, etc. PC , styled Lord Offaly until 1744 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1744 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 1766, was an Irish nobleman, soldier and politician.-Background:Leinster was the son of Robert...
and the well-connected Lady Emily Mary Lennox
Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster
Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster , known before 1747 as Lady Emily Lennox, from 1747 to 1761 as The Countess of Kildare and from 1761 to 1766 as The Marchioness of Kildare, was the second of the famous Lennox sisters, daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, and illegitimately...
. On 4/7 November 1775 he married The Hon. Emilia Olivia Usher St George, daughter of St George Saint-George, 1st Baron St George and Elizabeth Dominick, who died in London on 23 June 1798. He was also the elder brother of the 1790s revolutionary Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary. He was the fifth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster , he was born at Carton House, near Dublin, and died of wounds received in resisting arrest on charge of treason.-Early years:FitzGerald spent most of his...
, and was a first cousin of the English liberal politician Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
.
Children:
- Lady Mary Rebecca FitzGerald (6 May 1777 – 28 September 1842); married on 15 April 1799 Sir Charles Lockhart-Ross, 7th Baronet (died 8 February 1814)
- Lady Emily Elizabeth FitzGerald (13 May 1778 – 9 February 1856); married on 13 March 1801 John Joseph Henry of StraffanStraffanSruthán was mistakenly cited by Thomas O'Connor in the Ordnance Survey Letters in 1837, and adopted as the Irish form of Straffan. Seosamh Laoide used it in his list of Irish names of post-offices published in Post-Sheanchas . An Sruthán gained currency among those involved in the Irish revival...
(died 28 June 1846) - George FitzGerald, Marquess of Kildare (Carton, 20 June 1783 – 10 February 1784)
- Lady Cecilia Olivia Geraldine FitzGerald (3 March 1786 – London, 27 July 1863); married at Boyle FarmBoyle FarmBoyle Farm was the earlier name of the 'Home of Compassion', a mansion on the banks of the River Thames in Thames Ditton, Surrey. The house was built on the site of Forde's Farm by Charlotte Boyle Walsingham in the late 18th century. Although the estate has been sold and divided into expensive...
, Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
on 18 August 1806 Thomas Foley, 3rd Baron FoleyThomas Foley, 3rd Baron FoleyThomas Foley, 3rd Baron Foley PC , was a British peer and Whig politician. He served as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen Pensioners under Lord Grey between 1830 and 1833.-Background:...
(22 December 1780 - London, 16 April 1833) - Lady Olivia Letitia Catherine FitzGerald (9 September 1787 – Bath, 28 February 1858); married in London on 8 May 1806 Charles Kinnaird, 8th Baron Kinnaird (12 April 1780 - BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, 12 December 1826) - Augustus Frederick FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster (1791–1874), married Lady Charlotte Augusta Stanhope (1793–1859)
- Lord William Charles O'Brien FitzGerald (4 January 1793 - 8 December 1864); married and had:
- Geraldine Sydney FitzGerald (died 1896); married on 2 October 1855 Henry William Paget Butler (28 April 1831 - 14 August 1913)
- Lady Isabella/e Charlotte FitzGerald (died 1868); married on 1 June 1809 Major-GeneralMajor-General (United Kingdom)Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Louis Guy Charles Guillaume de Rohan-Chabot, Comte de Jarnac (1780–1875) - Lady Elizabeth FitzGerald (died 28 February 1857); married 22 July 1805 Sir Edward Baker, 1st Baronet (died 1825)
His homes were at Carton
Carton House
Carton House was one of Ireland's greatest stately homes and one time ancestral seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster. Located west of Dublin, in Maynooth, County Kildare, the Carton demesne runs to 1,100 acres . For two hundred years it possessed the finest example in Ireland of a...
, where he died, and Kilkea
Kilkea Castle
Kilkea Castle is located just northwest of Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland near the village of Kilkea on the R418 regional road from Athy to Tullow. It was a medieval stronghold of the Fitzgeralds, earls of Kildare.- History of the Castle :...
in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and at Leinster House
Leinster House
Leinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...
in Dublin (now the home of the Irish parliament). He was a founder member of the Order of St Patrick in 1783 and of the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
(1785), and was a large investor in the Royal Canal company launched in 1790. His family's estates of 60,000 acres (25,000 Ha) in Kildare were in three main parts, around Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, Rathangan
Rathangan
Rathangan may refer to:*Rathangan, County Kildare*Rathangan, County Wexford...
and Athy
Athy
The town developed from a 12th century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important British military outpost on the border of the Pale.The first town charter dates from the 16th century and the town hall was constructed in the early 18th century...
. He rebuilt the main bridge in Athy over the River Barrow
River Barrow
The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...
.
(1864-1895)
|4= 4. Charles William FitzGerald
Charles FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster
Charles William FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster PC , styled Marquess of Kildare until 1874, was an Irish peer and politician.-Background:...
4th Duke of Leinster (1847-1887)
|5= 5. Caroline Sutherland-Leverson-Gower
(da. 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland KG , styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer....
) (1817-1887)
|6= 6. William Ernest Dunscombe
William Duncombe, 1st Earl of Feversham
William Ernest Duncombe, 1st Earl of Feversham , known as The Lord Feversham between 1867 and 1868, was a British Conservative politician....
1st Earl of Feversham (b.1829)
|7= 7. Mabel Violet Graham
(18??)
|8= 8. Augustus Frederick FitzGerald
Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster
Augustus Frederick FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster, etc., PC, PC was an Irish peer and freemason, styled Marquess of Kildare from birth until 1804. He was born and died in Carton....
3rd Duke of Leinster (1791-1874)
|9= 9. Charlotte Augusta Stanhope
(1793-1859)
|10= 10. George Granville Sutherland-Leverson-Gower
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland KG , styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer....
2nd Duke of Sutherland KG (1786-1861)
|11= 11. Harriet Elizabeth Georgina Howard
Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland
Harriet Elizabeth Georgiana Howard was born Lady Harriet Howard, daughter of the 6th Earl of Carlisle and his wife Lady Georgiana Cavendish, who was a daughter of the famous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. On 18 May 1823 Harriet married Earl Gower, eldest son of the 2nd Marquess of Stafford, and...
(1806-1868)
|12= 12. William Dunscombe
William Duncombe, 2nd Baron Feversham
William Duncombe, 2nd Baron Feversham was a British peer and Tory politician.-Background:Feversham was the eldest son of Charles Duncombe, 1st Baron Feversham, and Lady Charlotte, daughter of William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth. The Hon. Arthur Duncombe and the Hon...
2nd Baron Faversham (1798-1867)
|13= 13. Lousia Stewart
(d.1889)
|14= 14. James Robert George Graham PC
(1792-1861)
|15= 15. Fanny Callender
(d.1857)
|16= 16. William Robert FitzGerald
2nd Duke of Leinster KP (1749-1804)
|17= 17. Emilia Olivia St. George
(da. Usher St. George
St George St George, 1st Baron St George
St George St George, 1st Baron St George was an Irish politician.Born St George Ussher, he was the son of John Ussher by his wife Mary St George, daughter of George St George, 1st Baron St George....
) (b.17??)
|18= 18. Charles Stanhope
Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington
General Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington PC, PC , styled Viscount Petersham until 1779, was a British soldier. Stanhope is sometimes confused with an exact contemporary of his, the 3rd Earl Stanhope....
3rd Earl of Harrington (1853-1859)
|19= 19. Jane Fleming
(da. John Fleming
Sir John Fleming, 1st Baronet
Sir John Fleming, 1st Baronet was an English baronet, created first Baronet Fleming of Brompton Park, Middlesex in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 22 April 1763....
) (b.17??)
|20= 20. George Granville Leverson-Gower
George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as The Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the...
1st Duke of Sutherland KG (1758-1833)
|21= 21. Elizabeth Countess of Sutherland
Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland
Elizabeth Sutherland Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland , also suo jure 19th Countess of Sutherland, was a Scottish peeress, best remembered for her involvement in the Highland Clearances....
(1765-1839)
|22= 22. George Howard
George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle
George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle KG, PC, FRS , styled Viscount Morpeth until 1825, was a British statesman...
6th Earl of Carlisle KG (1773-1848)
|23= 23. Georgina Cavendish
(da. 5th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, KG was a British aristocrat and politician. He was the eldest son of the William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire by his wife the heiress Lady Charlotte Boyle, suo jure Baroness Clifford of Lanesborough, who brought in considerable money and estates to...
KG) (b.17??)
|24= 24. Charles Dunscombe
Charles Duncombe, 1st Baron Feversham
Charles Duncombe, 1st Baron Feversham was a British Member of Parliament.Feversham was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1790. He was elected to the House of Commons for Shaftesbury in 1790, a seat he held until 1796, and then represented Aldborough from 1796 to 1806, Heytesbury from 1812 to...
1st Baron Feversham (1764-1841)
|25= 25. Charlotte Legge
(da. 2nd Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge 2nd Earl of Dartmouth PC, FRS , styled as Viscount Lewisham from 1732 to 1750, was a British statesman who is most remembered for his part in the government before and during the American Revolution....
) (d.1848)
|26= 26. George Stewart
George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway
Admiral George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway KT , styled Lord Garlies between 1773 and 1806, was a British naval commander and politician.-Background:...
8th Earl of Galloway KT (1768-1834)
|27= 27. Jane Paget
(da. 1st Earl Uxbridge) (d. 1842)
|28= 28. James Grayham 1st Bart
(1761-1824)
|29= 29. Catherine Stewart
(da. 7th Earl of Galloway
John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway
John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway KT was a Scottish peer, styled Viscount Garlies from 1747 until 1773. He succeeded his father Alexander in 1773. He was elected one of the representative peers, representing the Peerage of Scotland in the House of Lords, in 1774 and sat there until the 1790s...
(d.1836)
|30= 30. James Callander
James T. Callender
James Callender was a political pamphleteer and journalist whose writing was controversial in his native Scotland and the United States. His contemporary reputation was as a "scandalmonger", due to the content of some of his reporting, which overshadowed the political content...
(b.1774)
|31= 31. Elizabeth MacDonnel
(da. 5th Earl of Antrim) (d.1796)
}}
Marquess and Earl of Kildare, co. Kildare, Earl and Baron of Offaly, all in the Peerage of Ireland;
Viscount Leinster of Taplow, co. Bucks, in the Peerage of Great Britain
and Baron Kildare of Kildare in the Peerage of the United Kingdom;
Premier Duke, Marquess, and Earl of Ireland.