Lord President of Munster

The post of Lord President of Munster was the most important office in the English government of the Irish province of Munster from its introduction in the Elizabethan era for a century, to 1672, a period including the Desmond Rebellions in Munster, the Nine Years' War, and the Irish Rebellion of 1641. The Lord President was subject to the chief governor, but had full authority within the province, extending to civil, criminal and church legal matters, the imposition of martial law, official appointments, and command of military forces.[1] Some appointments to military governor of Munster were not accompanied by the status of President. The width of his powers led to frequent clashes with the longer established courts, and in 1622 he was warned sharply not to "intermeddle" with cases which were properly the business of those courts. He was assisted by a Council whose members included the Chief Justice of Munster, another justice and the Attorney General for the Province. By 1620 his council was permanently based in Limerick.

The post was suppressed in 1672.

Early history

The position was created at the suggestion of Sir Henry Sidney in the late 1560s. Filling it proved troublesome initially, since the nomination in 1566 of Warham St Leger failed to get royal approval.[2] John Pollard turned down Sidney's offer, ultimately, for financial reasons. Later in 1569 Sir Edward Fitton accepted the position of Lord President of Connaught.[3] The first President to be appointed was Sir John Perrot (1568) but it took several years for him to arrive in Munster.[2] There are sources saying that Humphrey Gilbert had the title in 1569.[4]

Presidents of Munster

Carew asked to resign, and was replaced about the time James I came to the English throne. There are different, confused accounts of the transition and outcome, one from the perspective of officials in London, and another local to Munster and indeed Cork. Brouncker, President in title, over-reached his position quickly.

(I) On one account, Carew was recommending as Vice-President Oliver St John; but in fact held the post until the appointment of his successor Henry Brouncker.[7][8] (II) On another account, Carew put his post in commission with Charles Wilmot and George Thornton. The post was taken over from them (c.1605) by Henry Becher (d. 1610). Here sources conflict.[9][10][11][12][13][14] (III) Whatever the nominal position from 1606, Wilmot and Thornton again held the reins of government.[15]

Vice-Presidents and deputies

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Theodore William Moody, F. X. Martin, William E Vaughan, F. J. Byrne, J R Hill, Art Cosgrove, Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, A New history of Ireland (1984), p. 534.
  2. 1 2 3  "St. Leger, Warham". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  3. ↑ Penry Williams, The Later Tudors: England, 1547–1603 (1998), p. 269.
  4. ↑ Jennifer Speake, Literature of Travel and Exploration: G to P (2003), p. 490.
  5. ↑ http://yba.llgc.org.uk/en/s-PERR-HAR-1530.html
  6. 1 2  "Norris, Thomas (1556–1599)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  7. ↑  "St. John, Oliver (1559–1630)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  8. ↑ Letters from Sir Robert Cecil to Sir George Carew (1864, Camden Society), note p. 145.
  9. ↑ Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, editor, Burke's Irish Family Records (London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976), Becher, page 100. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Irish Family Records.
  10. ↑ Be(e)cher's appointment by the commission is mentioned by Charles Bernard Gibson in The History of the County and City of Cork (1861), on p. 19, as occurring in 1604; and alluded to in A History of the City and County of Cork (1875) by Mary Francis Cusack, p. 345.
  11. ↑ http://www.thepeerage.com/p17980.htm#i179794
  12. ↑ Brendan Fitzpatrick, Seventeenth-century Ireland: the war of religions (1989), p. 16.
  13. ↑ http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/GeorgeCarew(ETotnes).htm%5B%5D
  14. ↑  "Brouncker, William". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  15. ↑  "Wilmot, Charles". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  16. ↑  "Danvers, Henry". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  17. ↑ According to A. F. Pollard in s:O'Brien, Donough (d.1624) (DNB00), O'Brien became President in 1605.
  18. ↑  "Villiers, Edward (1585?–1626)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  19. 1 2  "Weston, Jerome". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  20. ↑ Robert Armstrong, Protestant War: the 'British' of Ireland and the wars of the three kingdoms (2005), note p. 136.
  21. ↑  "Boyle, Roger (1621–1679)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  22. ↑  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Stanley, Sir William". Encyclopædia Britannica. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 782.
  23. ↑ http://yba.llgc.org.uk/en/s-HERB-WIL-1593.html
  24. ↑  "Legge, William (1609?–1672)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  25. 1 2  "Moryson, Fynes". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  26. ↑ http://mcgrathsearch.com/files/Version01_A.pdf, pp. 74–5.
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