Robert Dillon, 2nd Earl of Roscommon

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Robert Dillon
Earl of Roscommon
Tenure	1641–1642
Predecessor	James, 1st Earl of Roscommon
Successor	James, 3rd Earl of Roscommon
Born	unknown, estimated 1585
Died	27 August 1642 Dublin
Spouse(s)	Margaret Barry
Issue Detail	James, Lucas, David; Henry; Carey
Father	James, 1st Earl of Roscommon
Mother	Eleanor (also called Helen) Barnewall

Robert Dillon, 2nd Earl of Roscommon PC (Ire) (died 1642) was styled Baron Dillon of Kilkenny-West from 1622 to 1641 and became earl of Roscommon only a bit more than a year before his death. He supported Strafford, Lord Deputy of Ireland, who appointed him as one of the keepers of the King's seal. Lord Kilkenny-West was, for a short time, a lord justice of Ireland together with Sir William Parsons.

Birth and origins[]

Robert was born in Ireland, the eldest son of James Dillon and his wife Eleanor Barnewall.^[1] His father was the 1st Earl of Roscommon. His family was Old English and descended from Sir Henry Dillon who came to Ireland with Prince John in 1185.^[2] His family held substantial lands in Meath, Westmeath, Longford and Roscommon. Robert's mother, who was also called Helen,^[3] was a daughter of Christopher Barnewall of Turvey House, Dublin. Her family also was Old English.

Robert was one of seven brothers^[5] and had six sisters.^[6]

Robert listed among his brothers

He heads the list of his brothers below as the eldest: Robert (died 1642) Lucas of Twomere, or of Trinity Island, County Cavan, from whom the 9th, 10th and 11th earls descended,[7] married Mary, daughter of Sir John Thorpe[8] Thomas, died unmarried[9] Christopher, died unmarried[9] George, died unmarried[9] John, died unmarried[9] Patrick, from whom the 12th and last Earl descended,[10] married Jame Malone, daughter of Baron Malone[11]

Robert's six sisters[6]

Jane, married in 1604 her distant cousin Sir Christopher Dillon, son of Theobald Dillon, 1st Viscount Dillon[12][13] Elizabeth, married Hussey, Baron Galtrim[14] Frances, married the playwright and politician Henry Burnell and had many children, including the poet [15] Margaret, married Nugent of Drumcree[16] Mary, married sir John Bellew[17] Alison, married Roger O'Farrell of Morrin, chief of his name[18]

Marriages and children[]

Dillon married three times and had five sons from his three wives. Nothing seems to be known about his daughters.

First marriage[]

In about 1600 Dillon married Margaret Barry. She was a daughter of David FitzDavid de Barry (died 1605), grand-daughter of David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant^[19] and sister of David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore.^[20] His wife's family, the de Barrys, were Old English like his own.

With Margaret he had:

1. James (c. 1605 – 1649), became the 3rd Earl Roscommon;^[21]
2. Lucas, died childless^[22]
3. David, died an infant

Second marriage[]

He married secondly Dorothy, fourth daughter of George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon, widow of Sir James Steuart.^[23]

With Dorothy he had:

• Henry (died 1640), died unmarried^[24]

Third marriage[]

He married thirdly Anne, dowager Baroness Folliott, daughter of Sir William Strode (or Stroud).^[25]

With Anne he had:

• Carey (1627–1689), became the 5th Earl Roscommon.^[26]

Career[]

On 24 January 1620 his father was raised to the peerage with the title of Baron Dillon of Kilkenny-West, in the Peerage of Ireland.^[27] in a ceremony performed by the Lord Deputy Oliver St. John in the Presence Chamber of Dublin Castle on 25 January.^[28] On 5 August 1622 Robert's father was further honoured by being made Earl of Roscommon.^[29] In consequence of his fathers advancement, Robert, the heir apparent, was styled Lord Kilkenny-West, as a courtesy title from 1622 to 1641. His mother died on 11 October 1628.^[30] On 14 July 1634, his father took his seat in the Irish House of Lords.^[31] On 26 May 1638 a "Robert Lord Dillon" was appointed as one of the keepers of the King's seal.^[32] People probably found "Lord Kilkenny-West" cumbersome and called him Lord Dillon instead.

Lord Deputy Christopher Wandesford died on 3 December 1640.^[33] On 15 December Charles I appointed Lord Dillon (i.e. Lord Kilkenny-West) together with Sir William Parsons Lords Justices for Ireland,^[34] but Dillon was considered to have been too closely associated with Strafford and was replaced on 30 December.^[35][36][37] John Borlase was appointed as his successor on 31 December 1640.^[38]

His father died in March 1641^[39] and he succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Roscommon.^[40] He took up his seat at the Irish House of Lords on 1 August 1641.^[41]

Death and timeline[]

Lord Roscommon, as he was finally now, died on 27 August 1642 in Oxmantown, a quarter in Dublin's Northside.^[42][43]

Timeline
Age	Date	Event
0	1585, estimate	Born.[b]
18	1603, 24 Mar	Accession of King James I, succeeding Queen Elizabeth I[44]
19	1604, Nov	Sister Jane married Christopher Dillon of Ballylaghan, the heir apparent of Theobald Dillon, 1st Viscount Dillon.[13]
20	1605, about	Birth of his eldest son, James.[21]
35	1620, 24 Jan	Father created Baron of Kilkenny-West.[27]
37	1622, 5 Aug	Father elevated to Earl of Roscommon.[29] He was styled Baron Dillon of Kilkenny-West.
40	1625, 27 Mar	Accession of King Charles I, succeeding King James I[45]
43	1628, 11 Oct	Mother died.[30]
43	1634, 14 Jul	Father took his seat in the Irish House of Lords.[31]
55	1638, 26 May	Appointed one of the Lord Keepers of the seal.[32]
55	1640, early Dec	Appointed as Lord Justices of Ireland together with William Parsons.[36]
55	1640, 31 Dec	Replaced by John Borlase as lord justice.[38]
56	1641, Mar	Succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Roscommon.[39]
35	1640, 16 Mar	Parliament opened[46]
56	1641, 1 Aug	Took his seat at the Irish House of Lords[41]
56	1641, 12 May	Strafford beheaded.[47]
56	1642, 27 Aug	Died in Oxmantown, Dublin.[42]

Notes, citations, and sources[]

Notes[]

Citations[]

Sources[]

• Asch, Ronald G. (2004). "Wentworth, Thomas, first earl of Strafford (1593–1641)". In Matthew, Colin; Harrison, Brian (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 56. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 142–157. ISBN 0-19-861408-X.
• Bagwell, Richard (1909). Ireland under the Stuarts and under the Interregnum. Vol. 1. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. OCLC 458582656. – 1603 to 1642
• Burke, John (1832a). A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. Vol. 1 (4th ed.). London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley. – Abdy to Hutchinson (for Dillon)
• Burke, John (1832b). A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. Vol. 2 (4th ed.). London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley. – Ibbetson to Zouche (for Roscommon)
• Burke, Bernard (1866). A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire (New ed.). London: Harrison. OCLC 11501348. (for Strafford)
• Clavin, Terry (2004). "Borlase, Sir John". In Matthew, Henry Colin Gray.; Harrison, Brian (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 6. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 662. ISBN 0-19-861356-3.
• Cokayne, George Edward (1895). Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant. Vol. 6 (1st ed.). London: George Bell and Sons. OCLC 1180818801. – N to R (for Roscommon)
• Debrett, John (1828). Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 2 (17th ed.). London: F. C. and J. Rivington. OCLC 54499602. – Scotland and Ireland
• Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks, No. 2 (3rd ed.). London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-86193-106-8. (for timeline)
• House of Lords (1779). Journals of the House of Lords (PDF). Vol. 1. Dublin: William Sleater. OCLC 35009219. – 1634 to 1699
• Lodge, John (1789). Archdall, Mervyn (ed.). The Peerage of Ireland or, A Genealogical History of the Present Nobility of that Kingdom. Vol. 4. Dublin: James Moore. OCLC 264906028. – Viscounts (for Dillon)
• Mahaffy, Robert Pentland, ed. (1900). Calendar of the State Papers Relating to Ireland, of the Reign of Charles I. 1633–1647. London: His/Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
• McGurk, J. J. N. (2004). "Barry, David fitz James, de facto third Viscount Buttevant (1550–1617)". In Matthew, Henry Colin Gray; Harrison, Brian (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 4. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 121. ISBN 0-19-861354-7. (for his wife, Margaret Barry)
• Smyth, Constantine (1839). Chronicle of the Law Officers of Ireland. London: Henry Butterworth. OCLC 1018312937.
• Warner, Ferdinand (1768). History of the Rebellion and Civil-War in Ireland. Vol. 1. Dublin: James William. OCLC 82770539. – 1641 to 1643
• Webb, Alfred (1878). "Dillon, Theobald, Viscount". Compendium of Irish Biography. Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son. p. 149. OCLC 122693688.

Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by James Dillon	Earl of Roscommon 1641–1642	Succeeded by James Dillon