George Evans, 1st Baron Carbery facts for kids

George Evans, 1st Baron Carbery (around 1680 – 28 August 1749) was an important Anglo-Irish politician and a noble. He came from a well-known family in County Limerick, Ireland, who were part of the Whig political group. He became a member of the Irish House of Commons, which was like the parliament for Ireland at the time.

In 1715, he was given the title of Baron Carbery. This was a special reward because his father had strongly supported the new King, George I of Great Britain. His father had been offered the title first but turned it down. At the same time, George Evans also became a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British House of Commons for a place called Westbury. He spent many years trying to win control of this area from another political group, the Tories, until he stepped down in 1727.

Early Life and Family

George Evans was the son of George Evans of Bulgaden Hall, County Limerick, and his mother, Mary Eyre. They got married in 1679. In 1703, Lord Carbery married Anne Stafford. She later inherited a large estate called Laxton Hall from her brother.

George and Anne had five children:

• Stafford Evans (born 1704), who sadly died young.
• George Evans, 2nd Baron Carbery (died 1759), who later inherited his father's title.
• Hon. William Evans (died before 1756).
• Hon. John Evans (died 1758), who lived at Bulgaden Hall. He was the High Sheriff of County Limerick in 1734, which was a very important local role. He married Grace Freke in 1741, and they had children, including Sir John Evans-Freke, 1st Baronet.
• Hon. Anne Evans, who married Major Charles du Terme in 1734.

Political Start in Ireland

After another politician, Charles Oliver, passed away in 1706, George Evans was chosen to take his place as a representative for County Limerick in the Irish House of Commons. He served as a Whig MP for the county until 1714.

On 12 November 1714, he was given an important job: governor and constable of Limerick Castle. George's father had been a strong supporter of King William and Queen Mary many years before. When King George I offered his father a noble title, his father said no. However, George Evans accepted the offer, and on 15 March 1715, he became Baron Carbery in the Peerage of Ireland. This meant he was now a peer, a member of the nobility.

Entering British Parliament

With help from important Whig leaders like Lord Cowper, George Evans and another politician named Charles Allanson decided to run for election in Westbury during the 1715 election. They wanted to challenge the Tory party, led by Lord Abingdon, who had a lot of influence there.

The election happened on 25 January 1715. It was a bit confusing because two different results were announced! The Tory candidates, Lord Abingdon's nephew Willoughby Bertie and Francis Annesley, were declared winners by the mayor. But another official, the constable, said that Evans and Allanson had won. The Tory candidates had more votes (29 and 28) compared to Evans and Allanson (19 and 18). Because of this, the House of Commons first decided that the Tories had won on 28 March 1715.

Election Disputes and Success

However, Lord Carbery (as George Evans was now known) and Allanson didn't give up. They filed an election petition with the House of Commons. They argued that many of the Tory voters shouldn't have been allowed to vote. There were also claims that both sides had tried to bribe voters.

After looking into it, a special committee decided that Bertie and Annesley had not been properly elected, and that Carbery and Allanson should have won. The House of Commons, which was mostly made up of Whigs at the time, agreed with this decision. They decided that the rules for voting in Westbury should be interpreted in a way that favored Carbery and Allanson. On 18 November 1715, Carbery was also made a member of the Irish Privy Council, another important advisory group.

Political Actions and Later Years

Lord Carbery supported important Whig plans in Parliament. For example, he voted for the Septennial Act 1716, which changed how often elections were held. He also supported the Peerage Bill in 1719, which tried to limit the number of new noble titles. However, he was not present for a vote in 1719 that repealed some older laws about religious worship.

In the 1722 election, Carbery and Thomas Bennett ran against James Bertie (Lord Abingdon's brother) and Annesley. Again, the mayor declared the Tory candidates as the winners. Carbery and Bennett once more challenged the result, saying there were unfair practices and that they had actually received more votes. Even though the numbers seemed to be in their favor, they couldn't produce the original voting records, so their challenge was dismissed on 25 February 1724.

James Bertie had also won a seat for another area, Middlesex, and chose to represent that area instead. This meant there was a special by-election in Westbury in 1724. Lord Carbery ran again and won, defeating Edward Conway. He returned to Parliament but did not run in the 1727 election.

Lord Carbery's role as governor and constable of Limerick Castle was renewed in 1740. He passed away on 28 August 1749. His son, George, then became the 2nd Baron Carbery. Lady Carbery, his wife, died in 1757.