Robert Clements, 1st Earl of Leitrim

Robert Clements, later First Earl of Leitrim, by Pompeo Batoni, about 1753–1754

Robert Clements, 1st Earl of Leitrim (25 November 1732 – 27 July 1804)^[1] was an Irish nobleman and politician.

Son of Cavan Borough MP Nathaniel Clements, Deputy Vice Treasurer and Teller of the Irish Exchequer, Clements served as High Sheriff of Leitrim in 1759, having been the previous year appointed as Controller of the Great and Small Customs for the Port of Dublin.

In 1765, he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Donegal County, exchanging this seat for that of Carrick in 1768. In the former year he also married Lady Elizabeth Skeffington, eldest daughter of Clotworthy Skeffington, 1st Earl of Massereene. He was subsequently Commissioner of the Revenue between 1772 and 1773, and three years later returned MP for Donegal County again.

Having been appointed governor of Counties Leitrim and Donegal in 1777 and 1781 respectively, Clements was ennobled as Baron Leitrim, of Manor Hamilton in 1783. He was subsequently created Viscount Leitrim in 1794, and Earl of Leitrim in 1795.^[1] In 1801, he was elected as one of the original Irish representative peers,^[2] and was admitted to the Irish Privy Council the following year.

Lord Leitrim died aged 71 in London, and was buried in Dublin.

References[]

^ ^a ^b Collen, G.W. (1840). Debrett's Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland. London. p. 444. Accessed 5 February 2020.
^ Cook, C. & Stevenson, J. (1980). British Historical Facts 1760-1830. London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press Ltd. p. 52.

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Sir Ralph Gore, 6th Bt	Member of Parliament for Donegal County 1765–1768 With:	Succeeded by John McCausland Alexander Montgomery
Preceded by Robert French Dudley Cosby	Member of Parliament for Carrick 1768–1777 With: 1768–1776 Nathaniel Clements 1767–1777 1777	Succeeded by
Preceded by John McCausland Alexander Montgomery	Member of Parliament for Donegal County 1776–1783 With: Alexander Montgomery	Succeeded by Henry Vaughan Brooke Alexander Montgomery
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New title	Representative Peer for Ireland 1800–1804	Succeeded by The Earl of Enniskillen
Peerage of Ireland
New creation	Earl of Leitrim 1795–1804	Succeeded by Nathaniel Clements
	Viscount Leitrim 1793–1804
	Baron Leitrim 1783–1804

[Debrett's_Peerage_1840-1] Collen, G.W. (1840). Debrett's Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland. London. p. 444. Accessed 5 February 2020.

[2] Cook, C. & Stevenson, J. (1980). British Historical Facts 1760-1830. London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press Ltd. p. 52.

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