Viscount Gormanston

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Jenico Preston,
14th Viscount Gormanston

Viscount Gormanston is a title in the Peerage of Ireland held by the head of the Preston family. It was created in 1478. The holder is the senior Viscount of Ireland, as well as the bearer of the oldest vicomital title in either Britain or Ireland. The Preston family descends from Sir Robert Preston, who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Sometime between 1365 and 1370 he was created Baron Gormanston in the Peerage of Ireland by writ. His son, the second Baron, played a prominent part in public affairs and was arrested for treason in 1418. His great-grandson, the fourth Baron, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland. In 1478 he was created Viscount Gormanston in the Peerage of Ireland. His great-great-great-great-grandson, the seventh Viscount, was a supporter of King James II and was outlawed after the Glorious Revolution.

Jenico Preston helped to suppress the Irish Rebellion of 1798.[1] In 1800 he had the outlawry reversed and was summoned to the Irish House of Lords as the twelfth Viscount Gormanston. He was the great-grandson of Anthony Preston, the de jure ninth Viscount Gormanston, the nephew of the seventh Viscount. The twelfth Viscount was succeeded by his son, the thirteenth Viscount. In 1868 he was created Baron Gormanston, in the County of Meath, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave the Viscounts an automatic seat in the House of Lords. His son, the fourteenth Viscount, notably served as Governor of British Guiana and as Governor of Tasmania. As of 2014 the titles are held by the latter's great-grandson, the seventeenth Viscount who succeeded to the titles in 1940 at the age of seven months after his father was killed during the Battle of France in the Second World War.

Another member of the Preston family was Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara. He was the second son of the fourth Viscount Gormanston. Also, John Preston, 1st Baron Tara, was a descendant of a younger brother of the first Viscount Tara.

The unusual first name Jenico derives from the French-born soldier Sir Jenico d'Artois, whose daughter married the 3rd Baron, and was mother to the 1st Viscount.

The family seat was Gormanston Castle, near Drogheda, County Meath.

Barons Gormanston (1365–1370)

Viscounts Gormanston (1478)

  • Robert Preston, 1st Viscount Gormanston (1435–1503)
  • William Preston, 2nd Viscount Gormanston (d. 1532)
  • Jenico Preston, 3rd Viscount Gormanston (1502–1569)
  • Christopher Preston, 4th Viscount Gormanston (1546–1599)
  • Jenico Preston, 5th Viscount Gormanston (1584–1630)
  • Nicholas Preston, 6th Viscount Gormanston (1608–1643)
  • Jenico Preston, 7th Viscount Gormanston (d. 1691) (outlawed 1691)
  • Jenico Preston, ''de jure'' 8th Viscount Gormanston (1640–1700)
  • Anthony Preston, ''de jure'' 9th Viscount Gormanston (d. 1716)
  • Jenico Preston, ''de jure'' 10th Viscount Gormanston (1707–1757)
  • Anthony Preston, ''de jure'' 11th Viscount Gormanston (1736–1786)
  • Jenico Preston, 12th Viscount Gormanston (1775–1860) (restored 1800)
  • Edward Anthony John Preston, 13th Viscount Gormanston (1796–1876)
  • Jenico William Joseph Preston, 14th Viscount Gormanston (1837–1907)
  • Jenico Edward Joseph Preston, 15th Viscount Gormanston (1879–1925)
  • Jenico William Richard Preston, 16th Viscount Gormanston (1914–1940)
  • Jenico Nicholas Dudley Preston, 17th Viscount Gormanston (b. 1939)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Hon. Jenico Francis Tara Preston (b. 1974)

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Observer; Dublin Castle, July 16, 1798, 22 July 1798
  • Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
  • Tiernan, Sonja, ‘“A Zealous Catholic and a Notorious Trouble-Maker:” The Gormanston Papers in the National Library of Ireland’ in Ríocht na Mídhe: Meath Archaeological and Historical Society. Vol. XX, 2009, pp. 171–88.
  • Catelogue for Gormanston Estate Papers at National Library of Ireland. http://www.nli.ie/pdfs/mss%20lists/132_GormanstonPapers.pdf
  • Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

External links

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