Miles de Courcy facts for kids

Miles de Courcy (who died around 1720) was an important Irish politician who supported the Jacobite cause. The Jacobites were people who believed that James II of England and his family should be the rightful kings of England, Scotland, and Ireland, even after he was removed from power.

Miles de Courcy was the son of Patrick de Courcy, who was the 13th Baron Kingsale, and his mother was Mary FitzGerald. A Baron is a title of nobility, meaning he came from an important family.

Early Life and Political Role

Miles de Courcy became a burgess (a kind of town official or citizen with special rights) in the town of Kinsale in 1687. This meant he had a role in the local government of Kinsale.

In 1689, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (often called an MP) for Kinsale. An MP is someone elected to represent their area in the country's main law-making body, the Parliament. He served in a special Parliament called the Patriot Parliament, which was set up by King James II of England for a short time.

Military Service and Later Life

During a big conflict known as the Williamite War in Ireland, Miles de Courcy was a captain in a military group called Boiseleau's Regiment of Foot. This war was fought between those who supported King James II and those who supported the new King, William III.

After the war, Miles de Courcy faced a difficult situation. He was declared to have lost his property and rights because he had supported King James II. However, he was later able to get his lands back under the Articles of Limerick. These Articles were a peace agreement signed in 1691 that helped end the war and allowed some people to regain their lost property.

Miles de Courcy married a woman named Elizabeth Sadleir. Their son, Gerald, later inherited the title of Baron Kingsale from his cousin, Almeric de Courcy, 23rd Baron Kingsale, in 1720.