Henry Belasyse (died 1717) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Henry Belasyse
Brancepeth Castle, purchased by Belasyse in 1701
Member of Parliament for Mitchell
In office November 1713 – January 1715
Member of Parliament for City of Durham
In office November 1710 – February 1712
Member of Parliament for City of Durham
In office December 1701 – 1708
Member of Parliament for Morpeth
In office 1695 – November 1701
Member of Parliament for Galway, Ireland
In office 1693–1695
Personal details
Born	Henry Belasyse 1648 Biddick Hall, County Durham
Died	14 December 1717(1717-12-14) (aged 69) London
Resting place	Westminster Abbey
Nationality	English
Spouses	(1) Dorothy Benson 1680-1696 (2) Fleetwood Shuttleworth 1709
Residence	Brancepeth Castle
Alma mater	Christ's College, Cambridge
Occupation	Soldier and politician
Military service
Allegiance	Dutch Republic 1674–1688  England 1688–1702
Years of service	1674–1702
Rank	Lieutenant-general
Unit	6th Foot 1674–1688; 22nd Foot, 1689–1701; 2nd Foot 1701–1703
Commands	Governor of Galway 1691–1692 Governor of Berwick 1713–1715
Battles/wars	Franco-Dutch War Cassel; Saint-Denis Williamite War in Ireland The Boyne; Aughrim Nine Years' War Landen Namur 1695 War of the Spanish Succession Battle of Cádiz (1702)

Sir Henry Belasyse (born 1648 – died 14 December 1717) was an English soldier and politician. He was also known as Bellasis. He came from County Durham and served as a MP for different areas between 1695 and 1715.

Henry Belasyse started his military career in 1674. He fought under William of Orange, who later became King of England. Belasyse was a skilled soldier and was given important commands. He helped William take control of northern England in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution. He then fought in wars in Ireland and Flanders (modern-day Belgium) until 1697.

In 1702, during the War of the Spanish Succession, he was involved in an event after the Battle of Cádiz. This event caused problems for the House of Habsburg, who were allies. Because of this, he was removed from the army in 1703. He never led troops in battle again. However, he was appointed Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed from 1713 to 1715.

Belasyse first became an MP for Morpeth in 1693. He started as a Whig politician. Later, he was elected for Durham in 1701 with support from the Tory party. He served as an MP for Durham from 1701 to 1708, and again from 1710 to 1712. He then represented Mitchell, in Cornwall from 1713 to 1715. He did not run for election in 1715. Sir Henry Belasyse passed away in London on 14 December 1717 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Early Life and Family Background

Henry Belasyse was born in 1648 at Biddick House in County Durham. His father was Sir Richard Belasyse (1612–1651). His mother was Margaret (died after 1670). Henry had an older half-brother named William, who died in 1681, and a sister named Catherine.

The Belasyse family was large and well-known in Durham and Yorkshire. Henry's grandfather, Sir William, was a High Sheriff of Durham for many years. Unlike many of his relatives, Henry's father supported Parliament during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. This meant his family's lands stayed mostly safe. Many other family members supported King Charles I of England.

In 1680, Henry Belasyse married Dorothy Benson (1636–1696). She was a widow with a son named Robert Benson. Henry and Dorothy had three children: Mary, Thomas, and Elizabeth. Sadly, all three children died before their father. In 1707, Henry married Fleetwood Shuttleworth (1676–1732). They had two children, Margaret and William (1697–1769). Margaret died when she was young.

Military Career and Key Battles

Thomas, Lord Danby helped secure northern England for William of Orange.

Henry Belasyse finished his studies at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1667. He then spent some time at a law school called the Middle Temple. This was a common part of a gentleman's education back then.

In 1674, he joined the Scots Brigade. This was a group of soldiers who worked for the Dutch States Army. Belasyse's company joined one of the English regiments in this brigade. This regiment later became known as the 6th Foot.

He fought in the Franco-Dutch War. He was at the Battle of Cassel in 1677. Soon after, he became the Colonel of his regiment. He was injured at the Battle of Saint-Denis in 1678. This was the last battle of the Franco-Dutch War. He was made a knight sometime between 1678 and 1681.

In 1685, Belasyse went with the Brigade to England. They were sent by William of Orange to help King James II stop the Monmouth Rebellion. However, they returned without fighting. In 1688, King James wanted the whole Brigade to return to England. William refused but used this chance to remove officers he didn't trust.

Belasyse returned to England in April 1688. He became good friends with Lord Danby. Danby was a moderate Tory who invited William to become King of England. After William landed in England in November 1688, Belasyse joined Danby's forces. They took control of York, an important city, and then Hull, a major port.

The Battle of Aughrim was a very important battle that Belasyse fought in.

In April 1689, Belasyse was promoted to brigadier general. In September, he became Colonel of a Regiment of Foot. This regiment fought in the Williamite War in Ireland from 1689 to 1691. He was at the Boyne, Aughrim, and the Siege of Limerick in 1691.

After Galway surrendered in July 1691, Belasyse was made its governor. He also received land in County Kerry. In 1692, he was elected as an MP for Galway Borough in the Irish Parliament. However, he was fighting in Flanders during this time.

In 1691, Belasyse was badly hurt in a duel in London. Duels were common, but Belasyse was not very popular. Even so, William continued to promote him. William often preferred Dutch or German officers over English ones.

After the war in Ireland, Henry went to Flanders to fight in the Nine Years War. He led a group of soldiers. At the Battle of Landen in 1693, he helped lead the defeated Allied soldiers to safety. In October 1694, he was promoted to lieutenant-general. His group helped protect the Allied forces during the 1695 siege of Namur. Belasyse helped cover the retreat of the Allied forces. In October 1695, he oversaw the trial of officers who had surrendered Diksmuide and Deinze.

After the Battle of Cadiz (1702), Belasyse was removed from the army.

The Treaty of Ryswick in 1697 ended the Nine Years' War. But it did not solve the question of who would become the next King of Spain. This issue had been important in Europe for over 30 years. Everyone knew that the peace would not last. The Tory party in Parliament wanted to cut military spending. By 1699, the English army had fewer than 7,000 men.

Just before the War of the Spanish Succession began in July 1701, Belasyse changed regiments. He became Colonel of the 2nd Foot. His old unit was sent to Jamaica, which was known for being unhealthy. In 1702, Belasyse was made second-in-command to the Duke of Ormonde. They led an Anglo-Dutch force to Spain to support Archduke Charles.

Belasyse and Major-General Charles O'Hara led the force that captured Port St Mary in 1702. After the town was captured, there were reports of soldiers taking things from the town and burning parts of it. Archduke Charles was upset by this and wanted the commanders punished. In December, Queen Anne ordered that any items taken from Port St Mary be returned. Belasyse was accused of being involved. He said he had parliamentary protection, but he was removed from the army. This ended his active military career.

Political Career and Later Life

In 1693, Belasyse bought the Owton estate in County Durham from his nephew. In 1695, he was elected as an MP for Morpeth. He usually voted with the Whigs. In 1701, he bought Brancepeth Castle. He was then elected for the nearby area of Durham in the November election, with support from the Tories.

He did not run in the 1708 election. However, he was elected again for Durham in 1710, when the Tories won many seats. He had to resign as an MP in 1712. This was because he accepted a job to look into military spending in Italy and Spain. When this job ended in 1713, he became an MP for Mitchell, in Cornwall. This was a "rotten borough," meaning it had very few voters.

He was also appointed Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed. But like many Tories, he lost this job when George I became king in October 1714. He did not run in the 1715 election. Sir Henry Belasyse died in London in 1717 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Images for kids

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  Brancepeth Castle, purchased by Belasyse in 1701

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