Richard Nagle
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Nagle was an Irish politician and lawyer. He held the positions of Attorney-General for Ireland, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, Lord Justice of Ireland
and Secretary of State and War for Ireland under King James II. He fled to France in 1691, joining James II at Saint Germain, where he resumed his duties as nominal Secretary of State and War. He later served as Commissioner of the Household.
Richard was born into an Old English
family at Carrigacunna Castle, in County Cork
. This was his family's seat. His brother Pierce was a future High Sheriff of Cork. Although Richard was initially destined to join the clergy, he was educated in law at Gray's Inn and was called to the bar in Dublin.Seward, p 67.Cruise O' Brien, p 16. "Active and skillful", he had a successful career as a lawyer. The Earl of Tyrconnell brought Richard to England with him in 1685 to meet James II. James created him Attorney-General for Ireland and knighted him in 1686. He also appointed him to the Privy Council of Ireland
.
As an MP for Cork, Nagle was elected Speaker by the Irish House of Commons in 1689. This parliament is known to posterity as the "Patriot Parliament
". It spurned the outcome of the Glorious Revolution
, recognising King James's divine right to the Irish crown over William of Orange's
parliamentary one. William, made King of England during the revolution, was set on conquering Ireland from James, and to achieve that end he launched the Williamite War
. Richard was diametrically opposed to the Act of Settlement 1662
(he was the author of A Letter from Coventry, an anti-settlement pamphlet), which had punished royalists and Catholics who had fought against parliament in the Civil Wars
; he unsuccessfully advocated its repeal in this session.
James's forces were routed by William's at the Battle of the Boyne
, in 1690; King James retreated to Dublin. It was here he convened a council that advised him to flee to France. Nagle was one of its members. They reasoned that if he did not leave "he would run a great risk of being taken by the enemy". James followed their advice. Nagle, accompanied by Tyrconnell, visited him at his court-in-exile, Saint Germain, at the end of 1690. In Nagle's absence, his duties as Secretary of State were executed by the Baron Nugent of Riverston.
Upon the death of Tyrconnell, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Nagle became one of the Lords Justice of Ireland. The others were Francis Plowden and Baron Fitton of Gawsworth. They administered what remained of Jacobite
Ireland in the place of the Lord Lieutenant, though they did not assume command of the armed forces.Murray, p 223.
Lord Justices (Ireland)
The Lord Justice of Ireland was an ancient senior position in the governance of Ireland, held by a number of important personages, such as the Earl of Kildare....
and Secretary of State and War for Ireland under King James II. He fled to France in 1691, joining James II at Saint Germain, where he resumed his duties as nominal Secretary of State and War. He later served as Commissioner of the Household.
Richard was born into an Old English
Old English (Ireland)
The Old English were the descendants of the settlers who came to Ireland from Wales, Normandy, and England after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169–71. Many of the Old English became assimilated into Irish society over the centuries...
family at Carrigacunna Castle, in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. This was his family's seat. His brother Pierce was a future High Sheriff of Cork. Although Richard was initially destined to join the clergy, he was educated in law at Gray's Inn and was called to the bar in Dublin.Seward, p 67.Cruise O' Brien, p 16. "Active and skillful", he had a successful career as a lawyer. The Earl of Tyrconnell brought Richard to England with him in 1685 to meet James II. James created him Attorney-General for Ireland and knighted him in 1686. He also appointed him to the Privy Council of Ireland
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
.
As an MP for Cork, Nagle was elected Speaker by the Irish House of Commons in 1689. This parliament is known to posterity as the "Patriot Parliament
Patriot Parliament
The Patriot Parliament is the name given to the session of the Irish Parliament called by King James II of Ireland during the War of the Two Kings in 1689. The parliament met in one session, from 7 May 1689 to 20 July 1689, and was the only session of the Irish Parliament under King James II.The...
". It spurned the outcome of the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
, recognising King James's divine right to the Irish crown over William of Orange's
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
parliamentary one. William, made King of England during the revolution, was set on conquering Ireland from James, and to achieve that end he launched the Williamite War
Williamite war in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
. Richard was diametrically opposed to the Act of Settlement 1662
Act of Settlement 1662
The Act of Settlement 1662 passed by the Irish Parliament in Dublin. It was a partial reversal of the Cromwellian Act of Settlement 1652, which punished Irish Catholics and Royalists for fighting against the English Parliament in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms by the wholesale confiscation of their...
(he was the author of A Letter from Coventry, an anti-settlement pamphlet), which had punished royalists and Catholics who had fought against parliament in the Civil Wars
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
; he unsuccessfully advocated its repeal in this session.
James's forces were routed by William's at the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
, in 1690; King James retreated to Dublin. It was here he convened a council that advised him to flee to France. Nagle was one of its members. They reasoned that if he did not leave "he would run a great risk of being taken by the enemy". James followed their advice. Nagle, accompanied by Tyrconnell, visited him at his court-in-exile, Saint Germain, at the end of 1690. In Nagle's absence, his duties as Secretary of State were executed by the Baron Nugent of Riverston.
Upon the death of Tyrconnell, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Nagle became one of the Lords Justice of Ireland. The others were Francis Plowden and Baron Fitton of Gawsworth. They administered what remained of Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
Ireland in the place of the Lord Lieutenant, though they did not assume command of the armed forces.Murray, p 223.