Laurence Esmonde, 1st Baron Esmonde facts for kids

Sir Laurence Esmonde, 1st Baron Esmonde (around 1570–1646), was an important Irish nobleman. He served as the governor of Duncannon Fort in County Wexford. He was a leading commander for the King during the English Civil War. However, he was later suspected of not being loyal to the King when he gave up Duncannon Fort to the other side. He is an ancestor of the Esmonde Baronets, but his own title of Baron ended when he died.

Early Life and Family

Sir Laurence Esmonde was born around 1570. His parents were Walter Esmonde and Margaret Furlong. When he was in his twenties, he changed his religion to Protestantism. He fought bravely against Spain in the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium).

In 1599, he was put in charge of 150 soldiers. He was very active during the rebellion led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Esmonde even tried to get rid of O'Neill, but he didn't succeed. For his service, he was made a knight. He also served under Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy in County Monaghan. However, he had a big disagreement with the governor of Monaghan, Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth.

During a trip to Connacht, he met and married Margaret O'Flaherty. She was the daughter of Murrough O'Flaherty, a chief from that area. They had a son named Thomas. Margaret was a strong Roman Catholic. She worried that her son might be raised as a Protestant. So, she took young Thomas and went back to her family in Connacht. Because of this, Esmonde said their marriage wasn't legal. He then married Ellice (or Elizabeth) Butler, who was a widow.

In December 1606, Sir Laurence became the governor of the important Duncannon Fort. He held this job until he died in 1646. He was also chosen as the top law officer for Waterford in 1607. In 1613, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Wicklow.

In 1611, the leader of Ireland, Sir Arthur Chichester, planned to settle new people in Wexford. Esmonde helped survey the land that was taken. For his help, he received a large piece of land, about 1,500 acres.

Land Ownership and Disputes

Sir Laurence Esmonde owned a lot of land in Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, and Tipperary. In 1619, he bought some land in Wicklow. This led to a famous legal case involving a man named Phelim MacPheagh O'Byrne.

Esmonde was accused of unfairly trying to take land from the O'Byrne family. At this time, it was common for powerful landowners to try and claim land from older Irish families. The O'Byrnes accused Esmonde and the Irish leader, Lord Falkland, of wrongdoing. While O'Byrne didn't get his land back, his complaints did cause problems for Esmonde and Falkland. Lord Falkland's removal from his position was partly due to this case. Even though Esmonde's actions might seem unfair today, they were probably similar to what many powerful people did at that time.

Becoming a Baron

On May 20, 1632, Sir Laurence Esmonde was given the title of Baron Esmonde of Lymbricke, Wexford. This made him a nobleman. However, this title was meant to end when he died. He did not have any children with his second wife, Ellice Butler. Although he treated his son Thomas (from his first marriage) well, he never officially said that his first marriage was legal. This meant Thomas could not inherit the title of Baron.

Disagreement with the Earl of Strafford

In 1639, Esmonde was called before a special court called the Star Chamber. He was accused of secretly planning with others to spread false stories about the Irish leader, the Earl of Strafford. They claimed Strafford had caused harm to Robert Esmonde, a relative of Sir Laurence.

Strafford was a very powerful and intimidating person. He had the accusation dismissed and then accused Esmonde of spreading false stories. The charge against Strafford was likely untrue, as he was not known for physical violence. However, this accusation was one of many repeated later when Strafford was put on trial. Sir Laurence Esmonde was one of many Irish nobles who helped bring Strafford down. They supported his trial, which led to him being found guilty of betraying the King and then put to death. Sadly, the Irish nobles who helped often saw their own safety and wealth destroyed in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 that followed.

Siege of Duncannon Fort

When the English Civil War began, Sir Laurence tried to stay neutral between King Charles I and the English Parliament. But by 1646, the Irish Confederacy (a group of Irish Catholics) started to suspect his loyalty. Many of his officers and soldiers were on the Parliament's side and had broken a truce with the King.

The Confederates became more worried when another leader, Lord Inchiquin, joined Parliament's side. So, on the orders of the Confederacy, General Preston began to attack Duncannon Fort in January 1646. The fort was old and falling apart. Even though Esmonde was old and couldn't do much, the soldiers defending the fort fought very well.

However, Esmonde's second-in-command, Captain Lorcan, died. This made the defenders lose hope. Without asking Esmonde, they decided to give up the fort on St. Patrick's Day. The next day, a rescue force from the English Parliament arrived by river. But when they saw the fort was already taken, they sailed away. Sir Laurence Esmonde died just two months after the fort was surrendered. He passed away at Adamstown and was buried at Limbrick (now Killinierin) in a church he had built himself.

Appearance

People said that Sir Laurence Esmonde had a "sanguine complexion" (a reddish, healthy look). He was described as a tall man with a strong, solid, and well-built body and powerful limbs.

Inheritance

Since he had no children with his second wife, Elizabeth Butler, Sir Laurence left all his large properties to Thomas Esmonde. Thomas was the son from his first wife, Margaret O'Flaherty, whom he had said was not his legal wife. Because of this, Thomas could not inherit the title of Baron. However, Thomas had already been given his own title in 1629, becoming the first of the Esmonde Baronets. This title still exists today. Thomas had some trouble claiming his inheritance. His father's stepson, Patrick Sherlock, also claimed the estates. For unclear reasons, a military officer named William Halsey also tried to claim them.