Henry Burnell (author) facts for kids

Henry Burnell (who lived from the 1630s to 1656) was an Irish politician, playwright, and landowner. He lived in the 1600s, a time of big changes in Ireland. Not much is known about his early life. However, we do know he was an important member of the Irish Confederacy. This group governed a large part of Ireland between 1642 and 1649.

Henry Burnell came from a powerful family in Dublin who owned a lot of land. They lost most of their property after the Irish Rebellion of 1641 failed. Today, Henry Burnell is mostly remembered for writing Landgartha. This was the first play by an Irish writer to be shown in an Irish theatre. He was also the father of the poet Eleanor Burnell.

Henry Burnell's Family Background

Henry Burnell was the son of Christopher Burnell from Balgriffin. His grandfather, also named Henry Burnell, was a judge called the Recorder of Dublin. He passed away in 1614. We don't know anything about Henry's mother. His grandmother on his father's side was from the O'Reilly family in County Cavan.

The Burnell family had owned land in Dublin since the late 1300s. They were important lords of areas like Balgriffin and Castleknock. Many family members worked as judges, especially in the Court of Exchequer (Ireland). Most of them were strong Roman Catholics. Because of this, after the Protestant Reformation, people often doubted their loyalty to the King. This doubt grew when they were involved in the rebellion of Silken Thomas in 1534-1536. One family member, John Burnell, was even executed for his part in that rebellion.

We don't know much about Henry's personal life. But he was wealthy enough to marry one of the Earl of Roscommon's daughters. He likely inherited his money from his grandfather, who earned a lot as a lawyer in Ireland.

Landgartha: A Play for Ireland

Landgartha is the only play by Burnell that we still have today. It was performed at the Werburgh Street Theatre on St. Patrick's Day in 1640. This play was special because it was the first by an Irish writer to be shown on an Irish stage. It was also one of the last plays performed before the theatre closed in 1641.

The play's text was published in Dublin in 1641. Its full title was "Landgartha, a tragi-comedy as it was presented in the new theatre in Dublin with good applause." In the introduction, Burnell hints that he wrote other plays that are now lost. He said a previous play didn't do well because of "spite" (meaning someone was mean to him). People think he worked with a famous English writer named James Shirley. Shirley was working in Dublin between 1635 and 1640.

The idea of creating a special Irish theatre was important to the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford. Burnell received support from him. This was helpful, even though Strafford didn't always get along well with the local Irish gentry (landowners).

What is Landgartha About?

The play's main characters are:

• Landgartha: A strong woman from Norway.
• Frollo: The King of Sweden who took over Norway.
• Reyner: The King of Denmark.
• Harald: Reyner's rival.
• Uraca: Frollo's daughter.

Landgartha wants to free her country from Frollo's rule. She makes a deal with Reyner and agrees to marry him. They win a battle, and Landgartha herself kills Frollo. She and Reyner get married and have children. But her happiness doesn't last long. Reyner leaves her and thinks about marrying Uraca instead.

However, when Reyner is in danger from his rival Harald, Landgartha loyally helps him. She defeats Harald. The play ends with everyone making peace. It's decided that Landgartha and Reyner's children will rule both Denmark and Norway. Uraca gives up her wish to marry Reyner. It's not clear if Landgartha and Reyner will live together again as husband and wife. To make the Irish audience happy, there's a funny character named Marfissa, who is Irish.

Burnell later explained why the ending wasn't clear. He said his play was not just a comedy or a tragedy. It was something in between, which he called a "tragicomedy". This type of play was well-known to English audiences in the 1600s.

Hidden Meanings in the Play

Because of the difficult times when the play was written, and Burnell's later political life, some experts have looked for hidden political messages in Landgartha. Some suggest that Landgartha represents the old Anglo-Irish ruling class, which Burnell belonged to. They think Reyner might stand for the new English nobles who didn't give the Anglo-Irish a full role in public life, leaving them behind.

Another idea is that the play simply defends England's role in ruling Ireland. A more complex idea suggests that Reyner represents King Charles I of England. This view believes the play's story shows the political problems that led to the English Civil War. The plot is supposedly based on a real event in Danish history.

How Was Burnell Seen as a Playwright?

Burnell wrote that his play received "good applause." He even quoted an English writer who called him "the true heir of Ben Jonson" (a very famous playwright). However, not many critics then or now agreed with that high praise.

More recently, a writer who studied Burnell's patron, the Earl of Strafford, said that while Landgartha was important for Irish theatre, it wasn't a very good play itself. It seems many people at the time felt this way too. Burnell bitterly mentioned "the other babblers" (meaning critics) who had made fun of his play. He clearly didn't think much of them. He also felt that his earlier play failed because of the "hostility" or "spite" of his critics.

Henry Burnell and the Irish Confederacy

Henry Burnell was a leading Catholic landowner in the Pale (an area around Dublin). His family had a long history of questioning the King's policies. So, it was natural for him to become an important member of the Irish Confederacy.

However, we don't know much about what he did during the events of 1641-1649. We do know that he quickly lost his family lands at Balgriffin and Castleknock. His family never got them back. He was sentenced to be sent away to Connaught (a region in western Ireland). But it seems he managed to delay this punishment.

He was living at another family estate in Castlerickard, County Meath, in 1642. He was still alive in 1655 when he said he was too sick to be transported. The exact date of his death is not recorded.

Marriage and Children

Henry Burnell married Lady Frances Dillon. She was the third daughter of James Dillon, 1st Earl of Roscommon, and his wife Eleanor Barnewall. Lady Frances passed away in 1640. They had four sons and five daughters who lived past infancy.

The most famous of their children was their daughter Eleanor. She was one of the few Irish women poets of the 1600s. She only has a few Latin poems that we know of, including Patri suo Charissimo operis Encomium (which means "A praise of her dearest father's work"). Eleanor is special because she is believed to be the only female Anglo-Irish poet of her time.