William Trench, 1st Earl of Clancarty

William Power Keating Trench, 1st Earl of Clancarty (23 June 1741 – 27 April 1805; Ballinasloe, Ireland) was an Irish aristocrat and politician and later United Kingdom statesman at the time of the Act of Union. His family, through his son Richard, became prominent and hereditary members of the Netherlands' nobility.

He was a son of Richard Trench and Frances Power.

William was an Member of Parliament in the Irish House of Commons, and supporting the Whigs. He represented Galway County from 1768 until 1797. He served as High Sheriff of County Kilkenny for 1777. He was advanced to the Irish House of Lords as Baron Kilconnel (created 25 November 1797), and to the position of Viscount Dunlo (created 3 January 1801) as a reward for his continuing support of the Whig Party. On 12 February 1803 he became Earl of Clancarty. His choice of the former title is said to have been derived from a tenuous link to the Munster Earls of Clancarty, who had been deprived of the title by the English Crown. He therefore became the first Earl of Clancarty in its second creation. He was succeeded by his son Richard.

The Trench family seat was at Garbally in Ballinasloe.

Family

On 30 October 1762 he married Anne Gardiner, daughter of Charles Gardiner of Dublin and Florinda Norman. William and Anne had nineteen children:

1. Frances Trench (b. 1765, d. 1768)
2. Anne Trench (b. 1766, d. 21 November 1833), married William Gregory of Coole
3. Lady Florinda Trench (b. 3 August 1766, d. 9 February 1851), married William Handcock, 1st Viscount Castlemaine
4. Francis Trench (b. 1767, d. 1805)
5. Charles Trench (b. 1767, d. 1770)
6. Sir Richard Le Poer Trench, 2nd Earl of Clancarty (b. 19 May 1767, d. 24 November 1837), married Henrietta Margaret Staples
7. The Most Reverend and Honourable Power Le Poer Trench, Archbishop of Tuam (b. 10 June 1770, d. 26 March 1839), married Anne Taylor
8. Rear Admiral the Honourable William Le Poer Trench (b. 4 July 1771, d. 14 August 1846), married firstly Sarah Cuppage and secondly Margaret Downing
9. The Reverend Charles Le Poer Trench, Archdeacon of Ardagh (b. December 1772, d. 31 October 1839), married Frances Elwood
10. Thomas Le Poer Trench (b. 1774, d. June 1795)
11. Luke Henry Le Poer Trench (b. November 1775, d. 24 July 1798)
12. Louisa Trench (b. 1776, d. 1785)
13. Frederick Trench (b. November 1778, d. 1800)
14. Colonel Sir Robert Le Poer Trench (b. July 1782, d. 14 March 1823), married Letitia Susanna Dillon (daughter of Robert Dillon, 1st Baron Clonbrock)
15. Lady Elizabeth Trench (b. 1784, d. 30 May 1877), married John McClintock of Drumcar
16. Lady Harriet Trench (b. September 1785, d. 17 November 1855), married Sir Daniel Toler Osborne, 12th Baronet
17. Lady Frances Mary Trench (b. October 1787, d. 22 November 1843), married Henry Stanley Monck, 1st Earl of Rathdowne
18. Lady Louisa Trench (b. March 1789, d. 8 August 1852)
19. Lady Emily Trench (b. September 1790, d. 1816), married Robert La Touche of Harristown

Ancestry

References

• thePeerage.com: William Power Keating Trench, 1st Earl of Clancarty
• Stirnet: Trench01 (subscription required to view without interrupton)
• Stirnet: Eyre02 (subscription required to view without interrupton)

External links

• thePeerage.com: William Power Keating Trench, 1st Earl of Clancarty
• Stirnet: Trench01 (subscription required to view without interrupton)