Gilbert Ireland facts for kids

Sir Gilbert Ireland (1624 – 30 April 1675) was an important English politician from Hale Hall in Lancashire. He served in the House of Commons, which is like the main law-making body in England, at different times between 1654 and 1675.

Early Life and Family

Gilbert Ireland was born in 1624. His father was John Ireland, and his mother was Elizabeth Hays. His grandfather was also named Sir Gilbert Ireland. This grandfather was famous for bringing a very tall man, John Middleton (known as the Childe of Hale), to meet the King.

When Gilbert's father passed away in 1633, Gilbert inherited two important family homes: Hutt and Hale Hall.

Public Service and Political Career

Gilbert Ireland began his public service early. In 1645, he was part of a group chosen by the Parliament to help collect taxes in Lancashire. This was an important job to support the government.

In 1648, he became the High Sheriff of Lancashire. A High Sheriff was a very important official in a county. They were in charge of keeping the peace and making sure laws were followed.

Serving in Parliament

Sir Gilbert Ireland was elected to Parliament many times.

• In 1654, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lancashire. He served in the First Protectorate Parliament.
• He was re-elected for Lancashire in 1656 for the Second Protectorate Parliament.
• In 1659, he was elected MP for Liverpool in the Third Protectorate Parliament.
• After that, in April 1660, he was elected again for Liverpool to the Convention Parliament. This Parliament was very important because it helped bring the King back to power after a period of no king.
• Because of his loyalty and service, he was made a knight on June 16, 1660. This meant he was given the title "Sir."
• In 1661, he was re-elected as MP for Liverpool for the Cavalier Parliament. He continued to serve in this role until he passed away in 1675.

Mayor of Liverpool

In 1674, Sir Gilbert Ireland was chosen to be the Mayor of Liverpool. This was a very important position, as the Mayor was the head of the city government. Sadly, he died during his year in office.

Hale Hall Improvements

In 1674, Sir Gilbert moved into Hale Hall after making some big changes to the house. He updated the look of the old Jacobean building. He added a brick wall along the top of the house to hide the old gables (the triangular parts of the roof). This new wall was decorated with stone circles and other designs.

He also added a special stone tablet to the tower of the house. On it, he had carved: "Built by Sir Gilbert Ireland, Knt, and Dame Margt, Ao dI 1674". This means "Built by Sir Gilbert Ireland, Knight, and Lady Margaret, in the year of our Lord 1674."

Personal Life

Sir Gilbert Ireland was married to Margaret Ireland. She was the daughter of Thomas Ireland from Beausey, Lancashire. Sir Gilbert and Margaret did not have any children. After his death, Hale Hall was passed on to his nephew, who was also named Gilbert.