Charles MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry

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Charles MacCarty
Viscount Muskerry (courtesy title)
A shield of arms showing a red deer on a white ground
Born1633 or 1634
Died3 June 1665
Spouse(s)Margaret Bourke
Issue
Frances & Charles
FatherDonough, 1st Earl of Clancarty
MotherEleanor Butler

Charles MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry (1633 or 1634 – 1665), called Cormac in Irish, commanded a royalist battalion at the Battle of the Dunes during the interregnum. He was heir apparent to Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty but was killed at the age of 31 in the Battle of Lowestoft, a sea-fight against the Dutch, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, and thus never succeeded to the earldom.

Birth and origins[]

Cormac (Charles) was born in 1633 or 1634,[a] probably at Macroom Castle, County Cork, Ireland, his parents' habitual residence. He was the eldest son of Donough MacCarty and his wife Eleanor (or Ellen) Butler. He is also known as Cormac[3][4][5] and this seems to have been his original name whereas Charles seems to be a later English or French adaptation. At the time of his birth, Justin's father was the 2nd Viscount Muskerry, but he would be advanced to Earl of Clancarty in 1658.[6] His father's family were the MacCartys of Muskerry, a Gaelic Irish dynasty that branched from the MacCarthy-Mor line with Dermot MacCarthy, second son of Cormac MacCarthy-Mor, a medieval Prince of Desmond.[7] This second son had been granted the Muskerry area as appanage.[8]

Charles's mother (1612–1682)[9] was the eldest sister of James Butler, the future Duke of Ormond.[10] Her family, the Butler dynasty, was Old English and descended from Theobald Walter, who had been appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177.[11] Charles's parents were both Catholic.

hideFamily tree
Charles (Cormac) MacCarty with wife, parents, and other selected relatives.[b]
Charles
1st Viscount
Muskerry
1564–1641		Margaret
O'Brien		Thomas
Viscount
Thurles
d. 1619
d.v.p.*		Elizabeth
Pointz
Donough
1st Earl
1594–1665		Eleanor
Butler
1612–1682		James
1st Duke
Ormond
1610–1688
Helen
d. 1722		Charles
Viscount
Muskerry**
c. 1633 – 1665
d.v.p.*		Margaret
Bourke
d. 1698		Justin
Viscount
Mount-
cashel
c. 1643 – 1694
Margaret
d. 1703		Callaghan
3rd Earl
c. 1638 – 1676		Elizabeth
Fitz-
Gerald
d. 1698
Charles James
2nd Earl
1663–1666
infant		Donough
4th Earl
1668–1734		Elizabeth
Spencer
1671–1704
Legend
XXXSubject of
the article		XXXViscounts Muskerry
& Earls of Clancarty		XXXDukes
of Ormond
*d.v.p. = predeceased his father (decessit vita patris)
**courtesy title

Irish wars[]

At the time of his birth, Ireland enjoyed a period of peace between the end of Tyrone's Rebellion (1593–1603) and the Irish Rebellion of 1641. His father, after some hesitation, joined the Confederates in March 1642[22] and fought in that year at the Siege of Limerick[23] and the Battle of Liscarroll.[24]

In 1645 Pope Innocent X sent Giovanni Battista Rinuccini as nuncio to Ireland. Rinuccini landed at Kenmare, County Kerry.[25] and passed by Macroom Castle on his way to Kilkenny.[26] Cormac, about 11 years old, met Rinuccini who was welcomed by his mother at the castle.[27] His father opposed Rinuccini and was detained when Rinuccini overturned the Confederate government in a coup d'état.[28][29]

in May 1647, when Cormac was but 13 years old, his father sent him to France with a regiment to take service in Louis XIV's army.[30] Cormac sailed from Waterford on 15 May 1647.[31]

In April 1650 his family lost Macroom Castle, where Cormac had spent his childhood, in the context of the Battle of Macroom.[32][33][34] Around that time, anticipating the loss of Macroom or because of it, his father sent Cormac's mother, sisters and youngest brother to security in France. His mother then lived in Paris, where she rented an apartment in the convent of the Feuillantines.[35]

After Rinuccini's departure, his father took up arms again to fight the Cromwellians but was defeated in 1651 by Broghill at Knocknaclashy[36][37] and surrendered his last stronghold, Ross Castle, to Edmund Ludlow in 1652.[38][39]

On the continent[]

In France Cormac (Charles) and his Irish regiment were used to fight the Spanish in the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) on the border between France and the Spanish Netherlands.

Condé-sur-l'Escaut[]

His regiment was part of the garrison of Condé-sur-l'Escaut when the town was taken by the Spanish shortly after their victory over the French at the Battle of Valenciennes on 16 July 1656.[4][3]

King Charles II, in exile in the Spanish Netherlands since March 1656,[40] sent the Marquess of Ormond, Cormac's uncle, to ask him to join him with his regiment. He refused to change sides without having laid down his commission in proper form.[41] Having done this, however, he obeyed his king and changed sides together with his regiment, thereafter serving Charles II in Spanish pay. This regiment was then called the Duke of York's regiment after Charles II's brother the Duke of York and future James II.

Battle of the Dunes[]

He fought with his regiment at the Battle of the Dunes on 14 June 1658 where it formed part of the English royalist army under the Duke of York that fought together with the Spanish on the losing side against the victorious French and Protectorate English.[42][43]

On 27 November 1658 his father was created Earl of Clancarty by Charles II in Brussels.[6] By this advancement, the title of Viscount of Muskerry became the highest subsidiary title of the family, which was then given as courtesy title to the Earl's heir apparent. In consequence, Charles was styled Viscount Muskerry thereafter.[44]

Restoration[]

At the Restoration Lord Muskerry, as he now was, did not accompany the King to Dover in May 1660 but stayed with his regiment at Dunkirk until at least March 1662[45] but left before the Sale of Dunkirk in November 1662.[46] His father, the 1st Earl of Clancarty, had meanwhile returned to Ireland and recovered his estates by virtue of Charles II "Gracious Declaration" of the 30 November 1660.[47] Lord Clancarty sat in the Irish Parliament 1661–1666.

On 19 August 1662, Lord Muskerry was called to the Irish Parliament of 1661–1666 to replace his father, Lord Clancarty, on the committee that organised the gift of £30,000 for the Duke of Ormond.[48][49]

Marriage and children[]

In 1660 or 1661 Lord Muskerry married Margaret Bourke, a rich heiress, the only child of Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde and Lady Anne Compton.[50][51]

Charles and Margaret had two children, a girl and a boy:

  1. Frances (1662–1675), died young[52][53]
  2. Charles (1663–1666), succeeded his grandfather as the 2nd Earl, but died as an infant[54][55]

Life at the Restoration court[]

Lord and Lady Muskerry frequently attended the court at Whitehall. In July 1663 they went with the court to take the waters at Tunbridge Wells during which visit the Muskerrys as well as Elizabeth Hamilton and Elizabeth Wetenhall stayed at nearby Somerhill House, which had been built by Lady Muskerry's grandfather, Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde and had been given back to her at the Restoration.[56] This visit to Tunbridge is described by Antoine Hamilton in his semi-fictional Mémoires du comte de Gramont (written 1704–1710).[57]

The Mémoires du comte de Gramont (Chapter 7) tell how Elizabeth Hamilton made fun of Lady Muskerry by making her believe that the King had invited her to a masquerade and that she had to disguise herself as a Babylonian woman.[58] She was however not invited to this masquerade, which took place in February 1665.[59][60]

Death, succession, and timeline[]

The Second Anglo-Dutch War broke out on 4 March 1665. Muskerry was killed on 3 June 1665 in the Battle of Lowestoft, a naval engagement, on board of the flagship, the Royal Charles, by a cannonball, which also killed Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth.[61][1][62] He was 31 years old.[2] Muskerry was buried on 19 June with great pomp at Westminster Abbey.[63][64]

Muskerry had an infant son, Charles James, who succeeded him as heir apparent and Viscount of Muskerry. However, the 1st Earl, his father, died on 4 August 1665[65] surviving him by only two months, and the little Charles James, therefore, succeeded as the 2nd Earl but died about a year later, on 22 September 1666, still an infant.[66] Thereupon Callaghan, his uncle, succeeded as the 3rd Earl of Clancarty.[67]

His widow made two further marriages: to Robert Villiers, and to Robert Fielding. She died in 1698 at Somerhill House.[68] Her widower made a scandalous and bigamous marriage to Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, former royal mistress of Charles II.[69]

Notes, citations, and sources[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Knowing that Charles died on 3 June 1635,[1] aged 31,[2] he must have been born between the 4 June 1633 and the 3 June 1634.
  2. ^ This family tree is based on a tree focused on Callaghan, his father and his brothers[12] and on genealogies of the Earls of Clancarty,[13][14] the MacCarthy of Muskerry family,[15] and the Earls of Ormond.[16] Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Citations[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Cokayne 1913, p. 215: "He d. v.p. [predeceased his father] being slain on board 'the Royal Charles' in a sea-fight against the Dutch, 3, and was bur. [buried] 22 June 1665 in Westm. Abbey."
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Lainé 1836, p. 76 line 1: "... dans un combat naval livré aux Hollandais, le 13 juin 1665 [N.S.] à l'âge de trente-et-un ans."
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Carte 1851, p. 654: "... soon after [1656] surrendered. There were in it [Condé] two Irish regiments commanded by Cormac MacCarty, eldest son of the Viscount Muskery ..."
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Firth 1903, p. 71, line 1: "... lieutenant-colonel was Charles (or Cormac) MacCarty, eldest son of Lord Muskerry. Muskerry commanded an Irish regiment in French service which ... formed part of the garrison of Condé."
  5. ^ O'Hart 1892, p. 124: "... he had three sons:—1.Cormac; 2.Ceallachan ..."
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 2: "As reward for his services he was by patent dat. at Brussels 27 Nov., 1658, cr. [created] Earl of Clancarty, co. Cork [I. [Ireland]]."
  7. ^ O'Hart 1892, p. 122: "Cormac MacCarty Mor, Prince of Desmond (see the MacCarty Mór Stem, No. 115,) had a second son, Dermod Mór, of Muscry (now Muskerry) who was the ancestor of MacCarthy, lords of Muscry and earls of Clan Carthy."
  8. ^ Lainé 1836, p. 72: "Dermod-Môr, Mac-Carthy, fils puiné de Cormac-Môr, prince de Desmond et d'Honoria Fitz-Maurice, eut en apanage la baronnie de Muskery ..."
  9. ^ Ohlmeyer 2004, p. 107, left column: "... Donough MacCarthy had married by 1641 Eleanor (or Ellen; 1612–1682), the eldest daughter of Thomas Butler, Viscount Thurles, and sister of James, later Duke of Ormond."
  10. ^ Lodge 1789b, p. 39, line 33: "Daughter Ellen, married to Donogh, Earl of Clancarthy, and dying in April 1682, AEt. 70, was buried 24 in the Chancel of St. Michan's church."
  11. ^ Debrett 1828, p. 640: "Theobald le Boteler on whom that office [Chief Butler of Ireland] was conferred by King Henry II., 1177 ..."
  12. ^ Butler 1925, p. 255, Note 8The following rough pedigree ...
  13. ^ Burke 1866, p. 344Genealogy of the earls of Clancarty
  14. ^ Cokayne 1913, pp. 214–217Genealogy of the earls of Clancarty
  15. ^ Lainé 1836, pp. 74–78Genealogy of the MacCarthy of Muskerry family
  16. ^ Burke & Burke 1909, p. 1400Genealogy of the earls of Ormond
  17. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 216, line 6: "Callaghan (MacCarty) Earl of Clancarty etc [I. [Ireland]], uncle and h., being 2nd s. of the 1st Earl."
  18. ^ Cokayne 1893, p. 390: "The Hon. Justin MacCarty 3d and yst s. of Donough, 1st Earl of Clancarty [I. [Ireland]] by Eleanor, sister of James Duke of Ormonde ..."
  19. ^ Wauchope 2004, p. 111, left column: "c. 1643 – 1694"
  20. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 233, line 2: "He [William] m. 2ndly Helen, widow of sir John FitzGerald, of Dromana, co. Waterford (who d. 1662), da. of Donough (MacCarty), 1st Earl of Clancarty [I. [Ireland]] by Eleanor ..."
  21. ^ Cokayne 1926, p. 386, line 26: "He [Luke Plunkett] m. [married], before 1666, Margaret, da. [daughter] of Donough (MacCarty) Earl of Clancarty [I. [Ireland]], by Eleanor, sister of James (Butler) 1st Duke of Ormonde, and da. of Thomas Butler, styled Viscount Thurles. ... His widow d. [died] 1 Jan. 1703/4 and was buried in the chapel of Somerset House."
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b M'Enery 1904, p. 172: "Lord Muskerry joined the insurgents early in March [1642]."
  23. ^ M'Enery 1904, p. 163, penultimate line: "The principal men among the besiegers were General Gerald Barry, Patrick Pursell of Croagh, County Limerick, lord Roche, lord Muskerry ..."
  24. ^ Ohlmeyer 2012, p. 266: "... at the battle of Liscarroll (3 September 1642) when troops led by Lords Brittas, Castle Connell, Dunboyne, Ikerrin, Muskerry, and Roche took on a Protestant force ..."
  25. ^ Coffey 1914, p. 152, line 16: "[Rinuccini] ... landed at Kenmare, October, 21st [1645]."
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b Meehan 1882, p. 136: "At the great gate of Macroom Castle he was received by the Lady Helena Butler, sister to Lord Ormond and wife of Lord Muskerry, who was then in Dublin."
  27. ^ Ohlmeyer 2004, p. 107, right column, line 29: "... his [Donough's] wife and son, Charles, welcomed the papal nuncio Rinuccini to their castle at Macroom shortly after his arrival in Ireland in October 1645."
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b Meehan 1882, p. 196: "... chose a new council composed of four bishops and eight laymen with himself as president."
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b Carte 1851, p. 266: "... on the 26th [September 1646] by a solemn decree appointed a new council consisting of four bishops and eight laymen ..."
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b Carte 1851, p. 305, line 1: "... [Donough] had sent over a regiment under his eldest son Cormac Maccarty, then a youth but thirteen years old, who continued to serve abroad until the restoration."
  31. ^ Carte 1851, p. 305, line 4: "M. du Talon set sail on May 15 [1647] from Waterford with that regiment on board five ships that he had brought from Rochelle."
  32. ^ Adams 1904, p. 290: "Upon approach of Lord Broghill with a body of horse, the garrison in the castle set fire to it and joined the main body encamped outside."
  33. ^ Bagwell 1909, p. 223: "... they burned Muskerry's castle at Macroom and assembled in the park. They were raw levies and probably badly armed, for they were routed in a very short time."
  34. ^ Bagwell 1909, p. 223, in the margin: "Battle of Macroom, 10 April 1650"
  35. ^ Clark 1921, p. 8: "... his [Anthony Hamilton's] mother and his aunt, Lady Muskerry, had apartments at the couvent des Feuillantines in Paris ..."
  36. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 214, line 24: "... he [Muskerry] was severely defeated by Lord Broghill in June 1651, near Dromagh ..."
  37. ^ Coffey 1914, p. 222: "The last real battle fought in Ireland until the battle of the Boyne, nearly forty years later was at Knockbrack, on July 26th when Broghill fought Muskerry."
  38. ^ Jump up to: a b Ohlmeyer 2004, p. 107, right column, line 55: "he fought on before finally surrendering at Ross Castle (27 June 1652) and fleeing to the continent."
  39. ^ Firth 1894, p. 320, line 10: "Ross in Kerry; where the Lord Muskerry made his principal rendezvous, and which was the only place of strength the Irish had left, except the woods, bogs and mountains ..."
  40. ^ Fraser 1980, p. 147: "... Charles secured permission to come to Brussels, the capital of the Spanish Netherlands, arriving there in March 1656."
  41. ^ Stuart 1962, p. 223, line 20: "... he [Cormac] did not think he could with honour quit the Service of France in which he had engaged."
  42. ^ Webb 1878, p. 303, line 53: "MacCarty, Charles, eldest son of preceding, took service in France and distinguished himself in the Low countries.."
  43. ^ Firth 1903, p. 85: "[At the battle of the Dunes] The second [battalion] consisted of the Duke of Lord's regiment under Lord Muskerry."
  44. ^ Burke & Burke 1909, p. 6: "... such eldest sons of Peers ... as enjoy a plurality of titles, take and use the secondary one by courtesy."
  45. ^ Firth 1903, p. 104: "The Duke of York's regiment ... was placed on the establishment of Dunkirk about March 1622 ... being ... under the command of Lord Muskerry."
  46. ^ Airy 1905, p. 104: "... in November 1662, to the great scandal of the Protestant powers ... Dunkirk was handed over to the French."
  47. ^ Ohlmeyer 2004, p. 108, left column, line 12: "By Charles II's 'gracious declaration' (30 November 1660) Clancarty recovered his extensive Munster patrimony."
  48. ^ House of Lords 1779, p. 331, left column: "... ordered that the Viscount Muskry be added to the Committee for managing the free Conferences with the House of Commons concerning the $30,000 for his Grace the duke of Ormond, in room of the Earl of Clamncarty ..."
  49. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 8: "Charles MacCarty, s. [son] and h. ap. [heir apparent] in 1662, was sum. [summoned] to the House of Lords [I. [Ireland]] in his father's Viscountcy as Viscount Muskerry."
  50. ^ Jump up to: a b Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 10: "He m. [married] shortly after 2 Mar. 1659/60 and before May 1661, Margaret, only da. [daughter] of Ulick ..."
  51. ^ Wills 1841, p. 78: "He [Ulick] ... had one daughter who married Charles, Viscount Muskerry."
  52. ^ Lodge 1789a, p. 137, line 1"... Frances, who died unmarried 24 December 1675;"
  53. ^ Jump up to: a b Lainé 1836, p. 77 line 7: "Françoise Mac-Carthy, née en 1662, morte le 24 décembre 1675;"
  54. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 216, line 1: "Charles James (MacCarty), Earl of Clancarty, etc. [I. [Ireland]] grandson and heir, being only s. [son] and heir of Charles (Clancarty) Viscount Muskerry by Margaret, his wife, abovenamed. He, who was a ward of the Duke of Ormond, d. [died] an infant 22 Sep. 1666 ..."
  55. ^ Lainé 1836, p. 77 line 4: "Charles-Jacques Mac-Carthy, né en 1663, vicomte de Muskery, puis 2e comte de Clan-Carthy, mort en minorité;"
  56. ^ Phippen 1840, p. 333: "At the restoration of Charles II. Summerhill returned to its rightful owner Margaret, the daughter of Ulick, Marquis of Clanrickard, and wife of Viscount Muskerry ..."
  57. ^ Hamilton 1930, p. 271: "Within two or three short miles of Tunbridge Wells, Lord Muskerry owned a fine country-house, called Summerhill."
  58. ^ Hamilton 1930, pp. 120–132.
  59. ^ Cunningham 1888, p. 127: "Chapter VII has ... the splendid masquerade, given by the queen, at which Lady Muskerry appeared in the Babylonian dress."
  60. ^ Evelyn 1901, p. 2: "2d February 1665. I saw a Masque performed at Court by six gentlemen and six ladies, surprising his Majesty, it being Candlemas day."
  61. ^ Pepys 1894, p. 430, line 8: "The Earl of Falmouth, Muskerry, and Mr Richard Boyle killed on board the Duke's ship, the Royall Charles, with one shot: their blood and brains flying in the Duke's face ..."
  62. ^ Hyde 1827, p. 398: "... killed on board the duke's own ship ... the Lord Muskerry, eldest son of the earl of Clancarty, a young man of extraordinary courage and expectation, who had been colonel of a regiment of foot in Flanders under the duke."
  63. ^ Webb 1878, p. 303, line 57: "... lost his life in the naval engagement under the Duke of York with the Dutch, 3rd June 1665; and was buried with great pomp in Westminster Abbey."
  64. ^ Chester 1876, p. 162: "1665 / June / 19 / The Right Hon. Charles, Viscount Muskerry: in the same aisle [North] near the Earl of Marlborough."
  65. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 6: "He [the 1st Earl] d. [died] in London, 4 Aug. 1665."
  66. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 216, line 4: "... d. [died] an infant, 22 Sep. 1666."
  67. ^ Burke 1866, p. 344, right column, line 42: "Charles, 2nd earl, who d. [died] a child, in 1668, and was s. [succeeded] by his uncle Callaghan, 3rd Earl."
  68. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 19: "She died Aug. 1698, at Somerhill, near Tonbridge."
  69. ^ Turner 2004, p. 243, right column: "The duchess began proceedings in the London consistory court to annul her marriage to Feilding on account of his prior marriage to Mary Wadsworth, obtaining sentence on 23 May 1707. On 4 December 1706 Feilding was found guilty of bigamy ..."
  70. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 44, line 17: "Charles I. ... exec. 30 Jan. 1649 ..."
  71. ^ Coffey 1914, p. 213: "Cromwell landed in Dublin on August 15th [1649]."
  72. ^ Millar 1890, p. 177, left column, line 46: "... the Marquis of Ormonde, whom he [George's father] followed to Caen in the spring of 1651 with his wife and family."
  73. ^ Firth 1888, p. 181, left column: "... he [Cromwell] died at three o'clock on the afternoon of 3 Sept. [1658] ..."
  74. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 44, line 39: "Charles II. ... acc. 29 May 1660 ..."

Sources[]

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