Armar Lowry-Corry, 1st Earl Belmore
Encyclopedia
Armar Lowry-Corry, 1st Earl Belmore (7 April 1740 – 2 February 1802) was an Irish nobleman and politician.
He was born Armar Lowry, the first son of Galbraith Lowry (later Lowry-Corry) MP, of Ahenis, County Tyrone
by his wife Sarah Corry, second daughter and eventual co-heiress of Colonel John Corry MP, of Castle Coole
, County Fermanagh
.
for Tyrone
and sat for the constituency until 1781, when he was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland
as Baron Belmore. On 6 December 1789 he was further created Viscount Belmore and on 20 November 1797 was created Earl Belmore.
Lord Belmore was High Sheriff of County Tyrone
in 1769 and of County Fermanagh
in 1779.
The papers of the Lowry-Corry family show that the earl's political ambitions were a significant factor in the rebuilding of Castle Coole
, which is widely regarded as the most palatial Classical 18th century house in Ireland, celebrated as the masterpiece of James Wyatt
. In a characteristically incisive introduction to the catalogue of the Belmore papers at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
, Dr Anthony Malcomson writes: "Castle Coole was built as part and parcel of Belmore's plans for his own and his family's political and social aggrandisement...it was well-situated to mark the nucleus of a north-western political power bloc in the Irish Parliament...That parliament, its autonomy enhanced by the so-called Constitution of 1782 looked as if it would last forever...Castle Coole therefore reflects Belmore's confidence in his own political future and in the future of the political institutions of the day. It was to be the home of a great Irish political family: not merely a place to live in, but a showpiece to proclaim Belmore's position in Irish society and influence in the Irish House of Commons."
Unfortunately for Lord Belmore that confidence proved to be misplaced. Although he had inherited various family estates totalling some 70,000 acres (280 km²) and with a rent roll of at least £12,000 a year, and had risen through the ranks of the peerage, ultimately the Act of Union 1800
ended his chances of political influence. All that remained of his ambitions was Castle Coole itself, and that was really more a source of satisfaction to posterity than to himself, for he effectively handed over his various properties to his son and heir, Somerset, on his coming-of-age in 1795.
Malcomson writes that by the time of Lord Belmore's death, the total debt affecting his estates stood at £133,000, of which about £70,000 was attributable to the building of Castle Coole, and that while the house was completed within his lifetime, it was not to be fully furnished until his son had inherited the estate.
by his wife Lady Juliana Boyle, first daughter by his second wife of Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon
, and had issue:
He was married secondly on 2 March 1780 to Lady Harriet Hobart (7 April 1762 - 14 July 1805), eldest daughter and co-heir of John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire
, who was at the time the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
, by his first wife Mary Anne Drury, first daughter and co-heiress of Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Drury, 1st Baronet, of Overstone, Nottingham
, and had issue:
Lord Belmore's second marriage was subsequently dissolved by an Act of Parliament
in 1793, with Lady Belmore later marrying William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian
. He was married for a third time on 1 March 1794 to Mary Anne Caldwell (17 April 1755 - 13 December 1841), eldest daughter of Sir John Caldwell, 3rd Baronet, of Castle Caldwell, County Fermanagh, by his wife Elizabeth Hort, daughter of the Most Reverend Josiah Hort, Archbishop of Tuam
.
Lord Belmore died at Bath
on 2 February 1802 aged 61 and was succeeded by his only surviving son.
He was born Armar Lowry, the first son of Galbraith Lowry (later Lowry-Corry) MP, of Ahenis, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
by his wife Sarah Corry, second daughter and eventual co-heiress of Colonel John Corry MP, of Castle Coole
Castle Coole
Castle Coole is a townland and a late-18th-century neo-classical mansion situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.Set in a 1200 acre wooded estate, it is one of three properties owned and managed by the National Trust in County Fermanagh, the others being Florence Court and the...
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
.
Public life
In 1768, Lowry was elected to the Irish House of CommonsIrish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
for Tyrone
Tyrone (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Tyrone was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.-1692–1801:...
and sat for the constituency until 1781, when he was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
as Baron Belmore. On 6 December 1789 he was further created Viscount Belmore and on 20 November 1797 was created Earl Belmore.
Lord Belmore was High Sheriff of County Tyrone
High Sheriff of Tyrone
The High Sheriff of Tyrone is the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Tyrone. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258...
in 1769 and of County Fermanagh
High Sheriff of Fermanagh
The High Sheriff of Fermanagh is the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Fermanagh. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258...
in 1779.
Castle Coole
Lowry inherited the Corry family estate of Castle Coole in 1774, and took the additional name of Corry in recognition of this inheritance.The papers of the Lowry-Corry family show that the earl's political ambitions were a significant factor in the rebuilding of Castle Coole
Castle Coole
Castle Coole is a townland and a late-18th-century neo-classical mansion situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.Set in a 1200 acre wooded estate, it is one of three properties owned and managed by the National Trust in County Fermanagh, the others being Florence Court and the...
, which is widely regarded as the most palatial Classical 18th century house in Ireland, celebrated as the masterpiece of James Wyatt
James Wyatt
James Wyatt RA , was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, who far outdid Adam in his work in the neo-Gothic style.-Early classical career:...
. In a characteristically incisive introduction to the catalogue of the Belmore papers at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland is situated in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a division within the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure ....
, Dr Anthony Malcomson writes: "Castle Coole was built as part and parcel of Belmore's plans for his own and his family's political and social aggrandisement...it was well-situated to mark the nucleus of a north-western political power bloc in the Irish Parliament...That parliament, its autonomy enhanced by the so-called Constitution of 1782 looked as if it would last forever...Castle Coole therefore reflects Belmore's confidence in his own political future and in the future of the political institutions of the day. It was to be the home of a great Irish political family: not merely a place to live in, but a showpiece to proclaim Belmore's position in Irish society and influence in the Irish House of Commons."
Unfortunately for Lord Belmore that confidence proved to be misplaced. Although he had inherited various family estates totalling some 70,000 acres (280 km²) and with a rent roll of at least £12,000 a year, and had risen through the ranks of the peerage, ultimately the Act of Union 1800
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
ended his chances of political influence. All that remained of his ambitions was Castle Coole itself, and that was really more a source of satisfaction to posterity than to himself, for he effectively handed over his various properties to his son and heir, Somerset, on his coming-of-age in 1795.
Malcomson writes that by the time of Lord Belmore's death, the total debt affecting his estates stood at £133,000, of which about £70,000 was attributable to the building of Castle Coole, and that while the house was completed within his lifetime, it was not to be fully furnished until his son had inherited the estate.
Family
He was married firstly on 3 October 1771 to Lady Margaret Butler (23 January 1748 - Apr 1775), eldest daughter of Somerset Butler, 1st Earl of CarrickSomerset Butler, 1st Earl of Carrick
Somerset Hamilton Butler, 1st Earl of Carrick, PC , known as The Viscount Ikerrin from 1721 to 1744, was the son of Thomas Butler, 6th Viscount Ikerrin and Margaret Hamilton. He succeeded his brother James Butler as the 8th Viscount Ikerrin on 20 October 1721. Subsequently he was invested as a...
by his wife Lady Juliana Boyle, first daughter by his second wife of Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon
Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon
Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon, PC was a prominent Irish politician.Boyle was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Boyle , second son of Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery. His mother was Lady Mary O'Brien, daughter of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin...
, and had issue:
- Galbraith Lowry-Corry (b. 1772 d. 1773)
- Somerset Lowry-Corry, 2nd Earl BelmoreSomerset Lowry-Corry, 2nd Earl BelmoreSomerset Lowry-Corry, 2nd Earl Belmore , styled The Honourable from 1781 to 1797 and then known as Viscount Corry to 1802, was an Irish nobleman and politician.-Politics and inheritance:...
He was married secondly on 2 March 1780 to Lady Harriet Hobart (7 April 1762 - 14 July 1805), eldest daughter and co-heir of John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire
John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire
John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire was an English nobleman and politician.The son of John Hobart, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire by his first marriage, he was educated at Westminster School and Christ's College, Cambridge. He was Member of Parliament for Norwich from 1747–56, having also been...
, who was at the time the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, by his first wife Mary Anne Drury, first daughter and co-heiress of Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Drury, 1st Baronet, of Overstone, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, and had issue:
- Lady Louisa Mary Anne Julia Harriet Lowry-CorryLouisa Montagu, Countess of SandwichLady Louisa Mary Anne Julia Harriet Lowry-Corry, Countess of Sandwich was an Irish noblewoman and society figure, who in 1804 became the wife of George Montagu, 6th Earl of Sandwich....
(3 April 1781 - 19 April 1862), who was married to George John Montagu, 6th Earl of Sandwich, and had issue: (i) Lady Harriet Mary Montagu (14 May 1805 - 4 May 1857) and (ii) John William Montagu, 7th Earl of Sandwich (8 November 1811 - 3 March 1884)
Lord Belmore's second marriage was subsequently dissolved by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1793, with Lady Belmore later marrying William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian
William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian
William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian KT was the son of William Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian.He married, firstly, Lady Harriet Hobart-Hampden, a younger daughter of 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire , on 14 April 1793...
. He was married for a third time on 1 March 1794 to Mary Anne Caldwell (17 April 1755 - 13 December 1841), eldest daughter of Sir John Caldwell, 3rd Baronet, of Castle Caldwell, County Fermanagh, by his wife Elizabeth Hort, daughter of the Most Reverend Josiah Hort, Archbishop of Tuam
Archbishop of Tuam
The Archbishop of Tuam is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Roman Catholic Church.-History:...
.
Lord Belmore died at Bath
Bath
Bath is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset in the south west of England. It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. The population of the city is 83,992. It was granted city status by Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590, and was made a county borough in 1889 which...
on 2 February 1802 aged 61 and was succeeded by his only surviving son.