Christopher St Lawrence, 8th Baron Howth facts for kids
Christopher St Lawrence, 8th Baron Howth (died 1589) was an important Irish politician and a noble. He was part of the Privy Council of Ireland, which was a group of advisors to the ruler. He played a big role in the Irish government during the 1560s. Later, he disagreed with the government and was even put in prison. People often called him the Blind Lord.
He was a smart and educated man. Many believe he wrote parts of a historical book called The Book of Howth. However, he also had serious family problems that led to legal issues. He faced charges and was fined because of how he treated his wife and one of his daughters.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Christopher St Lawrence was born sometime after 1509. He was the third of four sons of Christopher St Lawrence, 5th Baron Howth and Anne Bermingham. His brothers were Edward, the 6th Baron, and Richard St Lawrence, 7th Baron Howth. Since he wasn't the oldest son, people didn't expect him to inherit the family title. Because of this, not much is known about his early years.
In 1544, he began studying law at Lincoln's Inn in England. By 1554, he was working as a lawyer. His knowledge of law later helped him challenge some of the Crown's policies in Ireland. It's not known when he started to lose his sight or if he became completely blind. By 1556, he was back in Ireland, looking after one of his family's estates. He became the Baron of Howth in 1558 after his brother Richard passed away without children.
A Key Politician
The Barons of Howth were always in a good position to be important in Irish politics. Christopher also had the advantage of being trusted by the Lord Deputy of Ireland, the Earl of Sussex.
When Elizabeth I became Queen, Christopher was immediately made a member of the Privy Council. He also served in her first Irish Parliament in 1560. In 1561, Sussex sent him to talk with Shane O'Neill, who was a powerful leader in Ulster. Howth convinced O'Neill to travel to London and meet the Queen.
The next year, Howth himself went to London to discuss Irish matters with the Queen. He said that Queen Elizabeth was suspicious of him at first because he was Irish. But he managed to earn her trust. He was confirmed as Baron of Howth and later became a knight. After Sussex left Ireland, Howth continued to be trusted by the new Lord Justice of Ireland, Sir Nicholas Arnold. Arnold sent him to negotiate with the O'Reilly clan, another important Irish family.
Leading the Opposition
The 1570s were a time of disagreement between the new Lord Deputy, Sir Henry Sidney, and the Anglo-Irish nobles. They argued about Sidney's tax policies, especially a tax called the cess. This tax was used to pay for soldiers in the towns of the Pale.
Even though Howth had always been loyal to the Crown before, he became one of the main leaders against these new taxes. This made the Queen very unhappy. When he was called before the Council, he argued that Sidney's tax plans were against the law, based on his understanding as a lawyer.
He was put in Dublin Castle for five months. After that, he fully apologized to the Crown. He said he never meant to question the Queen's power to tax her Irish people. He was allowed to go free after a strong warning. However, it's likely he was never fully trusted by the Crown again. Some people think that his later legal problems about his family life might have been partly political.
Legal Challenges
In 1579, a servant of Lord Howth was found guilty of lying in court. During this trial, a lot of information came out about Howth's difficult behavior towards his wife. The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Sir William Gerard, ordered a deeper look into these claims. This led to a full hearing before the Court of Castle Chamber, which was like a special court in Ireland.
The evidence showed that Howth's wife had left him because she was afraid. She had gone to live with her brother for safety. It was also said that his 13-year-old daughter, Jane, had suffered greatly. Howth admitted to hitting her, but claimed she died from a fever.
Howth was found responsible for his actions towards his wife and daughter. He was briefly imprisoned and had to pay a large fine. He was also ordered to pay alimony to his wife, and she was allowed to live separately from him. She was also given care of their children. While the government might have wanted to punish Howth for opposing their taxes, the court's decision also showed real concern for Lady Howth and her daughter.
Later Years
In the 1580s, Howth briefly returned to his role as a leader of the opposition. He managed to temporarily stop new tax reform plans by the Lord Deputy, Sir John Perrot. This time, he quickly admitted his mistakes. He made up with Perrot and even sent him a rare goshawk bird as a gift.
Christopher St Lawrence died on October 24, 1589. He was buried in Howth Abbey. His tomb has a statue of him and, surprisingly, also of his first wife. In his last will, he left generous gifts to his servants. However, none of his children, except his oldest son, received anything. His will mentioned his "many and grave sins." This has led some to believe he truly felt sorry for how he treated his wife and daughter.
The Book of Howth
Lord Howth owned an old book called the Book of Howth. This book is a very important historical source. It partly celebrates the achievements of the St. Lawrence family. It also describes historical events like the Battle of Knockdoe. The last part of the book talks in detail about Howth's own life and career. Many believe he wrote this section himself.
The book argues that the Anglo-Irish nobles, whom Howth saw himself as a leader of, were the rightful rulers of Ireland for the Crown. It suggested that replacing them with English officials would leave the Crown open to its real enemies, the Old Irish. The book also criticized recent Crown policies, like the cess tax.
Legend of Granuaile
A famous story, which might be partly true, tells of an event around 1575. Grace O'Malley, also known as Granuaile, was a famous "Pirate Queen" from Galway. She visited Howth Castle but found the gates closed. She was very upset by this lack of welcome.
As a result, she kidnapped Lord Howth's young grandson, who was the heir to the family title (this would likely have been Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth). She held him hostage until the St. Lawrence family apologized for not being welcoming. To make things right, Lord Howth promised that from then on, his castle gates would always be open at dinner time. He also promised that a place would always be set at the table for unexpected guests. This tradition was kept by later generations of the family.
Family Life
In 1546, Christopher St Lawrence first married Elizabeth Plunket. She was the daughter of Sir John Plunket of Beaulieu House, County Louth. From her testimony in court, we know they had 14 children. However, many likely died as babies, and only 8 are known for sure:
- Nicholas St Lawrence, 9th Baron Howth (born around 1550, died 1607)
- Thomas (died 1600), who was killed in battle
- Leonard (died 1608)
- Richard
- Margaret
- Mary, who married Sir Patrick Barnewall
- Elizabeth
- Jane, who passed away in 1577 at just 13 years old.
After 1579, he married Cecily Cusack, who was the daughter of Henry Cusack, an alderman from Dublin. She lived many years longer than him, dying in 1638. She married twice more after Christopher passed away.
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